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Papers
87 resultsShowing papers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada
ClearIdentification of the driving factors of microplastic load and morphology in estuaries for improving monitoring and management strategies: A global meta-analysis
Across 1,477 observations from 124 estuaries worldwide, microplastic abundance averaged 21,342 items/m3 in water and 1,313 items/kg in sediment, with about 69-86% of particles smaller than 1 mm. Population density and mismanaged plastic waste drove water contamination, while 47% of estuarine water and 73% of sediment samples reached the highest potential ecological risk category.
Important questions to progress science and sustainable management of anguillid eels
A team of 30 eel experts reviewed the current state of knowledge about anguillid eels worldwide and identified critical research gaps across their lifecycle, the threats they face, and management strategies. The study notes that pollution, including microplastics, is among the many threats contributing to population declines in these ecologically important fish. Researchers emphasize that without better international coordination and adaptive management, the outlook for many eel species remains concerning.
Exploring multiple stressor effects with Ecopath, Ecosim, and Ecospace: Research designs, modeling techniques, and future directions
This review examined how the popular Ecopath with Ecosim modeling platform has been used to study multiple environmental stressors in ecosystems, including pollution, climate change, and invasive species. Researchers found that most studies focused on single stressors and rarely addressed microplastic pollution or combined effects of multiple threats. The paper calls for more integrated modeling approaches that capture how different stressors interact in real ecosystems.
Microplastics in aquatic environments: Implications for Canadian ecosystems
This review summarizes what is known about microplastic contamination in Canadian freshwater and marine environments, covering sources, distribution, and potential ecological effects. Researchers found that while microplastics have been detected across Canadian waters from the Great Lakes to Arctic coastlines, significant data gaps exist for many regions. The study calls for standardized monitoring methods and more research into how microplastics affect Canadian aquatic ecosystems and the species that depend on them.
On the paradox of thriving cold‐water coral reefs in the food‐limited deep sea
This review investigates the paradox of how cold-water coral reefs thrive in the deep sea despite extremely limited food supply. The authors found that these reefs exploit multiple food sources including zooplankton, dissolved organic matter, and internal recycling by their microbial communities. While not directly about microplastics, deep-sea coral ecosystems are increasingly threatened by plastic pollution sinking to ocean depths.
Protecting and restoring habitats to benefit freshwater biodiversity
This paper reviews how protecting and restoring freshwater habitats can help reverse the steep decline in river, lake, and wetland biodiversity. Human activities like damming, agriculture, and urbanization have fragmented and degraded these ecosystems at alarming rates. While not focused on microplastics specifically, the review is relevant because reducing pollution, including plastic waste, is a key part of freshwater habitat restoration strategies.
Spatial distribution and risk assessment of microplastics in surface waters of the St. Lawrence Estuary
This study measured microplastic pollution in the St. Lawrence Estuary in eastern Canada, finding an average of 120 particles per cubic meter of surface water. Concentrations were highest near wastewater treatment plant outflows and agricultural areas. The research highlights that estuaries serve as major conduits for microplastic pollution moving from rivers to the ocean, affecting ecosystems and potentially the seafood that communities depend on.
Hope or Despair Revisited: Assessing Progress and New Challenges in Global Fisheries
This review assesses the state of global fisheries a decade after major concerns were raised about overfishing and environmental threats. Despite progress in international policies, the overall status of fisheries has not improved, with plastic pollution identified as one of several growing threats alongside climate change and deep-sea mining. The findings are relevant to microplastics research because contaminated fisheries mean higher microplastic exposure for the billions of people who depend on seafood as a food source.
Human Consumption of Microplastics
Researchers evaluated the American diet and estimated that the average person consumes between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year through food alone, with the number rising significantly when inhalation and bottled water consumption are included. The study analyzed data from 26 prior studies covering common food categories. The findings highlight that microplastic exposure through everyday eating and drinking is widespread and substantial.
Plastics’ circular economy for the Galapagos Islands? Exploring plastics governance with implications for social and ocean equity in a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Researchers explored the feasibility of implementing a plastics circular economy in the Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site facing significant marine plastic pollution. They examined the governance structures needed to address plastic waste while balancing conservation goals with the needs of local communities. The study highlights how remote island communities in the global South face unique challenges in managing plastic pollution equitably.
Atmospheric deposition drives microplastic contamination in remote lakes of Newfoundland, Canada
Researchers found significant microplastic contamination in lake sediments across remote areas of Newfoundland, Canada, with concentrations between 6,000 and 24,000 particles per kilogram. Because the lakes are in sparsely populated areas with minimal water inflow, the pollution is attributed to atmospheric transport via wind, rain, and snow from distant sources. The study demonstrates that microplastics can travel through the atmosphere and accumulate even in isolated, high-latitude freshwater environments.
Disposable masks release microplastics to the aqueous environment with exacerbation by natural weathering
Researchers studied how disposable face masks degrade and release microplastics when exposed to shoreline environmental conditions including UV radiation and wave action. The study found that natural weathering significantly exacerbated microplastic release from masks by altering their chemical composition and reducing mechanical strength, indicating that improperly discarded masks pose a growing threat to marine environments.
Microplastics in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Eastern Beaufort Sea
Researchers partnered with Inuvialuit hunters in Canada's Northwest Territories to examine microplastic contamination in beluga whales from the Eastern Beaufort Sea. They found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of every whale sampled, with an average of 97 particles per individual and polyester fibers being the most common type. The diversity of plastic polymers and shapes found points to multiple contamination sources reaching even remote Arctic marine ecosystems.
Pervasive distribution of polyester fibres in the Arctic Ocean is driven by Atlantic inputs
Researchers documented the widespread distribution of microplastics across 71 stations in the European and North American Arctic, including the North Pole. The study found that polyester fibers comprised 73% of synthetic particles, with nearly three times more particles in the eastern Arctic compared to the west, suggesting that Atlantic Ocean currents and wastewater-derived textile fibers are a major source of microplastic contamination in this remote region.
Effects of anthropogenic sounds on the behavior and physiology of the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica)
Researchers measured acute behavioral and physiological responses of eastern oysters to anthropogenic sounds mimicking human activities such as pile driving and drilling. The study found that oysters immediately reduced their valve gape under simulated pile driving sound, indicating that noise pollution can affect the behavior and physiology of ecologically important marine invertebrates.
Sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within intertidal sediments: Insights from a long-term field study within Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
Researchers placed macro- and microplastics made of two common polymer types in marine intertidal sediments in British Columbia, Canada, for an extended field study to measure how they absorb trace metals. They found that metal sorption depended on polymer type, plastic aging, particle size, and local environmental conditions such as proximity to pollution sources. The study demonstrates that plastics in marine sediments can accumulate concerning levels of metals like copper and zinc, potentially creating concentrated toxic hotspots.
Ecotoxicological Assessment of Microplastics and Cellulose Particles in the Galápagos Islands and Galápagos Penguin Food Web
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination around the Galapagos Islands, using the endangered Galapagos penguin as an indicator species. They found microplastics and cellulose particles in seawater, zooplankton, and fish that penguins eat, confirming that contamination has reached this remote ecosystem's food web. The study raises concerns about the cumulative effects of microplastic exposure on already vulnerable species in one of the world's most important marine biodiversity hotspots.
Microplastic pollution in the Greenland Sea: Background levels and selective contamination of planktivorous diving seabirds
Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in the Greenland Sea, studying both surface water samples and planktivorous diving seabirds. The study found that despite being far from major pollution sources, the Arctic contains measurable microplastic levels and that seabirds in the region are selectively contaminated, confirming the widespread reach of microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) prey: An exploratory assessment of trophic transfer in the Beaufort Sea
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in five fish species that are prey for beluga whales in the eastern Beaufort Sea of the Arctic. They found microplastics in 21% of fish examined, predominantly fibers, and estimated that individual beluga whales may ingest between 3,800 and 145,000 microplastic particles annually through their diet.
Modelling microplastic bioaccumulation and biomagnification potential in the Galápagos penguin ecosystem using Ecopath and Ecosim (EwE) with Ecotracer
Researchers used ecosystem modeling to trace how microplastics move through the food web of the Galapagos penguin, from small prey organisms up to the penguins themselves. The model predicted that microplastics accumulate and magnify as they move up the food chain, with top predators like penguins carrying the highest concentrations. The study offers a non-invasive way to assess microplastic risks to endangered species without the need for lethal sampling.
Multi-Species Probiotics as Sustainable Strategy to Alleviate Polyamide Microplastic-Induced Stress in Nile Tilapia
Researchers tested whether multi-species probiotics could counteract the toxic effects of polyamide microplastics in Nile tilapia over a six-week experiment. The study found that probiotic supplementation alleviated microplastic-induced stress by improving growth performance, immune response, and physiological health markers, suggesting that probiotics may be a sustainable strategy for protecting farmed fish from microplastic contamination.
Temperature affects the sorption of trace metals by macro- and microplastics within marine intertidal sediments: insights from a long-term laboratory-based study
Researchers conducted long-term laboratory experiments to understand how temperature affects the ability of macro- and microplastics to absorb trace metals like cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in marine sediments. They found that temperature changes altered the rate at which metals were absorbed and the equilibrium concentrations reached, while sediment organic matter also influenced sorption at all temperatures tested. The study provides insight into how warming ocean temperatures could change the way plastics interact with toxic metals in coastal environments.
Microplastic contamination in edible American lobster (Homarus americanus) muscle tissue
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in the edible muscle tissue of American lobsters from four commercial fishing sites in Nova Scotia, Canada. All lobsters examined contained microplastics at a mean concentration of 6.65 particles per gram of wet tissue, with smaller lobsters showing higher concentrations and the most common particles being small enough to potentially translocate within tissues.
Transport of Microplastic and Dispersed Oil Co-contaminants in the Marine Environment
Researchers investigated the transport behavior of microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates in simulated ocean systems, finding that over 90% of heavy oil agglomerates stayed at the surface while light oil agglomerates sank, influenced by salinity and mineral concentrations.