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Marine litter in stomach content of small pelagic fishes from the Adriatic Sea: sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2018 140 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Andrea Blašković, Antonietta Specchiulli, Giorgio Mancinelli, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Lucrezia Cilenti, Andrea Blašković, Antonietta Specchiulli, Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Giorgio Mancinelli, Antonietta Specchiulli, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Cristina Manzo, Andrea Blašković, Andrea Blašković, Cristina Manzo, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Andrea Blašković, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Giorgio Mancinelli, Monia Renzi Antonietta Specchiulli, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Lucrezia Cilenti, Lucrezia Cilenti, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Antonietta Specchiulli, Monia Renzi Antonietta Specchiulli, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Antonietta Specchiulli, Monia Renzi Antonietta Specchiulli, Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi Monia Renzi

Summary

Researchers examined marine litter and microplastics in the stomach contents of sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) from the Adriatic Sea across seasons in 2013-2014, finding marine litter in over 90% of samples from both species. Ingestion levels were correlated with species, season, and fish biometry, underscoring the widespread contamination of small pelagic fish at the base of Mediterranean food webs.

Body Systems

Marine litter impacts oceans and affects marine organisms, representing a potential threat for natural stocks of pelagic fish species located at the first levels of the marine food webs. In 2013-2014, on a seasonal basis, marine litter and microplastics in stomach contents from Sardinia pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus were evaluated. Selected species are plankitivores of great ecological and commercial importance in the Adriatic Sea. Collected data were correlated to possible factors able to affect ingested levels as well as species, season of sampling, biometry and sex of animals. Almost all tested samples (80 organisms for each species) contained marine litter (over 90% of samples from both species) and also microplastics; while any meso- or macroplastics were recorded. On average, recorded items were as follows: 4.63 (S. plichardus) and 1.25 (E. encrasicolus) per individual. Sardines evidenced a higher number of microplastics characterised by a smaller size than those recorded in anchovies. For sardines, sex, Gastro Somatic Index and sampling season showed negligible effects on the number of ingested litter; conversely, anchovies showed differences related with both sex of animals and dominant colour of ingested materials with prevalence for black and blue colours.

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