We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
High levels of microplastic ingestion by the semipelagic fish bogue Boops boops (L.) around the Balearic Islands
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found microplastics in 68% of bogue fish stomachs sampled in the Balearic Islands, with only fiber-type microplastics present. The high ingestion rate in this semi-pelagic Mediterranean fish suggests widespread exposure in the water column and raises concerns about plastic transfer through the food web in this sea.
For the first time this study reports on the presence of microplastics (1 nm to <5 mm) in the gastrointestinal tracts of small semipelagic fish (Boops boops) in the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea) from March to May 2014. The results show microplastic ingestion in 68% of full stomach samples with an average of 3.75 items per fish. Only filament type microplastics were observed in B. boops full gastrointestinal tracts. The frequency of occurrence of microplastics was high, with values ranging from 42% to 80%, in comparison to the other ingested items. Spatial variability among locations is high, which suggests that this type of contamination is ubiquitously distributed and originates from multiple sources. The results are important and indirectly provide further evidence of the presence of microplastics, which can be ingested by biota, in the marine environment.
More Papers Like This
Spatial variability and influence of biological parameters on microplastic ingestion by Boops boops (L.) along the Italian coasts (Western Mediterranean Sea)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analyzed microplastic ingestion by Boops boops (bogue fish) across multiple Italian coastal sites in the Western Mediterranean, finding that ingestion rates varied by body size, season, and location, and that this widely consumed fish is a suitable bioindicator for microplastic monitoring.
Using Boops boops (osteichthyes) to assess microplastic ingestion in the Mediterranean Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed microplastic ingestion in 884 Boops boops fish caught at 20 coastal sites across Spain, France, Italy, and Greece, finding microplastics in 46.8% of individuals with an average of 1.17 items per fish, predominantly filaments composed of polyethylene and polypropylene.
Microplastics in the bogue, Boops boops: A snapshot of the past from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found 180 plastic particles in 65 Boops boops specimens from the Gulf of Patti collected in 2010, representing the first Mediterranean record of microplastic ingestion in this species, with polypropylene and polyethylene fragments and fibers as the dominant forms.
Feeding habits and microplastic ingestion of Bogue in Mediterranean Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined feeding habits and microplastic ingestion in bogue (Boops boops) from the North Evoikos Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, sampling 230 individuals across 2022 and 2024, finding microplastics in 56.1% of specimens at a mean of 1.74 MPs/individual and an opportunistic diet dominated by crustaceans with microplastics representing a key gastrointestinal content category.
Detection of artificial cellulose microfibers in Boops boops from the northern coasts of Sicily (Central Mediterranean)
AI summary Read the abstract
Cellulose microfibers (man-made, not natural) were detected in the stomachs of 63.3% of 30 bogue fish from northern Sicilian coasts, with 1–10 fibers per specimen and fibers dominated by blue and black colors. The findings demonstrate that artificial cellulose fibers from textiles are being ingested by Mediterranean fish and highlight this often-overlooked fiber type in microplastic monitoring.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.