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The uptake of macroplastic & microplastic by demersal & pelagic fish in the Northeast Atlantic around Scotland
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Researchers examined plastic ingestion in coastal flatfish and offshore pelagic and demersal fish around Scotland, finding that nearly half of coastal fish contained plastic while only 2.4% of offshore fish did, with polyamide fibers being the most commonly identified polymer type across both environments.
This study reports plastic ingestion in various fish found from coastal and offshore sites in Scottish marine waters. Coastal samples consisted of three demersal flatfish species (n=128) collected from the East and West coasts of Scotland. Offshore samples consisted of 5 pelagic species and 4 demersal species (n=84) collected from the Northeast Atlantic. From the coastal fish sampled, 47.7% of the gastrointestinal tracts contained macroplastic and microplastic. Of the 84 pelagic and demersal offshore fish, only 2 (2.4%) individuals from different species had ingested plastic identified as a clear polystyrene fibre and a black polyamide fibre. The average number of plastic items found per fish from all locations that had ingested plastic was 1.8 (±1.7) with polyamide (65.3%), polyethylene terephthalate (14.4%) and acrylic (14.4%) being the three most commonly found plastics. This study adds to the existing data on macroplastic and microplastic ingestion in fish species.
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Plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea
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Researchers examined gastrointestinal tracts of 290 North and Baltic Sea fish and detected plastic in 5.5% of individuals, with pelagic species like herring and mackerel ingesting plastic at three times the rate of bottom-dwelling cod and flounder, and polyethylene making up nearly 40% of identified polymer types.
Ingestion of plastic by fish: A comparison of Thames Estuary and Firth of Clyde populations.
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Alimentary canals of 876 fish from 21 estuarine species in the Thames Estuary and Firth of Clyde were examined for ingested plastic. Overall 32% of organisms had ingested plastic, with fibers making up 88% of particles, highlighting widespread plastic ingestion across both pelagic and benthic fish in UK coastal waters.
Microplastic intake in epi- and mesopelagic fish and squid species from an oceanic environment (NE Atlantic)
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Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion in epi- and mesopelagic fish and squid species from the open NE Atlantic Ocean, documenting contamination in oceanic species that may confuse microplastics with similarly sized and colored planktonic prey.
Occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion by pelagic and demersal fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea
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Researchers examined the occurrence and potential effects of plastic ingestion in pelagic and bottom-dwelling fish from the North Sea and Baltic Sea, finding plastics in both groups. The study contributed to baseline knowledge of microplastic ingestion rates in commercially important fish species in European seas.
Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf
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Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.