We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Plastic ingestion and trophic transfer in an endangered top predator, the longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus), from the tropical western Pacific Ocean
ClearFrom prey to predators: Evidence of microplastic trophic transfer in tuna and large pelagic species in the southwestern Tropical Atlantic
Researchers found evidence of microplastic trophic transfer from prey to tuna and large pelagic predators in the southwestern Tropical Atlantic, demonstrating that plastic contamination moves through marine food chains to economically important fish species.
Plastic for dinner? Observations of frequent debris ingestion by pelagic predatory fishes from the central North Pacific
Researchers documented frequent ingestion of plastic debris by large predatory pelagic fishes — including mahi-mahi, opah, and swordfish — sampled from the central North Pacific between 2007 and 2012. The findings demonstrate that plastic contamination extends beyond small planktivorous fish and seabirds to apex pelagic predators, with implications for trophic transfer of associated chemical contaminants.
Microplastics and other anthropogenic fibres in large apex shark species: Abundance, characteristics, and recommendations for future research
This study provided the first investigation of microplastics and microfibres in large apex shark species, documenting their presence and characteristics across multiple species. The results confirm that microplastic contamination extends to marine megafauna at the top of the food web.
How plastic debris and associated chemicals impact the marine food web: A review.
This review examined how plastic debris and associated chemicals disrupt marine food webs at all trophic levels, from physical entanglement and false satiation in megafauna to microplastic ingestion and chemical transfer through trophic magnification, concluding that plastic contamination poses systemic threats to marine ecosystem function.
Microplastics and phthalate esters contamination in top oceanic predators: A study on multiple shark species in the Pacific Ocean
Researchers examined microplastic and phthalate ester contamination in multiple shark species from the Pacific Ocean off Taiwan's coast. They found microplastics present in the gastric tissues of all shark species studied, along with measurable levels of phthalate esters, which are common plastic additives. The study provides evidence that top ocean predators are accumulating plastic-related pollutants, raising concerns about contamination throughout marine food webs.
What goes in, must come out: Combining scat‐based molecular diet analysis and quantification of ingested microplastics in a marine top predator
By combining molecular diet analysis from seal scat with quantification of ingested microplastics, researchers found that a marine top predator was regularly ingesting plastic particles, with exposure likely mediated through prey species that had themselves ingested plastics. The study demonstrates trophic transfer of microplastics through a food chain to a marine mammal predator.
Coupling Gastro-Intestinal Tract Analysis With an Airborne Contamination Control Method to Estimate Litter Ingestion in Demersal Elasmobranchs
This study assessed plastic and microplastic ingestion by demersal elasmobranchs (bottom-dwelling sharks and rays) in the Mediterranean, combining stomach analysis with strict airborne contamination controls. By demonstrating that plastic ingestion occurs even in these deepwater predators, the study shows microplastic contamination has reached the upper levels of Mediterranean marine food webs.
Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of microplastics in oceanic food webs
Researchers quantified microplastic bioaccumulation and trophic transfer across food web levels in the Laccadive Sea, Western Indian Ocean, from zooplankton through top predators. Microplastics were found in 95% of samples, with highest concentrations in predatory fish like swordfish (832 items/individual), demonstrating substantial biomagnification across trophic levels.
Investigating the effects of microplastic ingestion in Scyliorhinus canicula from the South of Sicily
Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of small-spotted catsharks from Sicilian waters, documenting ingestion rates and polymer types and highlighting the vulnerability of sharks as marine predators to microplastic accumulation through the food chain.
Ecological impact of microplastic pollution on marine food webs
This review examines how microplastic pollution disrupts marine food webs, tracing the transfer of plastic particles and associated chemicals from plankton through fish to top predators and analyzing the ecological consequences for marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
Microplastics in fecal samples of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and from surface water in the Philippines
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion by whale sharks in the Philippines through fecal sample analysis and compared it with surface water contamination, providing direct evidence that these filter-feeding megafauna ingest microplastics in a recognized pollution hotspot.
Investigating microplastic trophic transfer in marine top predators
Researchers investigated trophic transfer of microplastics in grey seals by analyzing digestive tracts of wild-caught Atlantic mackerel (fed to captive seals) alongside seal scat. Microplastics were detected in both prey fish and seal scat, providing empirical in natura evidence for trophic transfer in a marine top predator.
Microplastics on the Menu: Plastics Pollute Indonesian Manta Ray and Whale Shark Feeding Grounds
Plastic abundance was surveyed at feeding grounds for manta rays and whale sharks in three coastal Indonesian locations using plankton net trawls and visual surveys, finding microplastics throughout waters in a global marine biodiversity hotspot. The study highlights the risk posed by plastic pollution to large filter-feeding megafauna in one of the world's most plastic-polluted regions.
Evidence of microplastic ingestion in the shark Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810 in the continental shelf off the western Mediterranean Sea
This study found microplastics in the stomachs of 17% of blackmouth catsharks sampled around the Balearic Islands, with ingestion associated with stomach fullness. The finding extends documented microplastic ingestion to a deep-sea shark species and suggests that plastic contamination affects predators at higher trophic levels in Mediterranean waters.
You Are What You Eat, Microplastics in Porbeagle Sharks From the North East Atlantic: Method Development and Analysis in Spiral Valve Content and Tissue
Microplastics were detected in all spiral valve tissues from critically endangered North-East Atlantic Porbeagle sharks, with individual sharks containing up to 3,850 particles, likely acquired through trophic transfer from prey. The study introduces spiral valve analysis as a method for microplastic biomonitoring in shark populations.
Investigating microplastic trophic transfer in marine top predators
Researchers investigated whether microplastics can transfer through the food chain by analyzing the scat of captive grey seals and the wild mackerel they were fed. They found microplastics in about half of the seal scat samples and a third of the fish, with similar particle types in both. The study suggests that trophic transfer is a plausible route for microplastics to move up marine food chains to top predators.
Microplastic contamination and risk assessment in blue shark (Prionace glauca) from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean
Researchers quantified microplastic abundance and characteristics in the digestive tracts of blue sharks (Prionace glauca) from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and conducted a risk assessment for microplastic pollution in this pelagic apex predator. The study found microplastics in 39.1% of specimens — predominantly blue fibers sized 46 to 3,220 micrometers — with similar abundance across sexes, indicating widespread exposure of blue sharks to microplastic pollution in open ocean environments.
Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina
Researchers examined the transfer of microplastics across trophic levels in a prey-predator marine food web, tracking particles from prey organisms to predators. The study confirmed trophic transfer of microplastics and found that predators can accumulate higher particle concentrations than their prey.
Trophic transfer of microplastics and mixed contaminants in the marine food web and implications for human health
This review examines how microplastics and the chemicals they carry transfer through marine food webs from lower to higher trophic levels, and what this means for human health given that people consume marine fish and seafood. It identifies microplastics as a vector for bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in ways that ultimately reach humans.
Prevalence of microplastics and anthropogenic debris within a deep-sea food web
Researchers documented microplastic prevalence across 17 genera spanning approximately five trophic levels in the Monterey Bay submarine canyon food web, finding evidence of trophic transfer of microplastics through the deep-sea ecosystem and higher contamination in organisms from mid-water and benthic habitats.
Effect of alternative natural diet on microplastic ingestion, functional responses and trophic transfer in a tri-trophic coastal pelagic food web
Researchers studied how microplastics move through a three-level marine food chain, from zooplankton prey to planktivorous fish, and how the availability of natural food affects microplastic ingestion. When natural food was scarce, organisms consumed more microplastics, and the particles transferred efficiently up the food chain. This study demonstrates that microplastics in the ocean can accumulate through the food web and reach fish species that humans commonly eat.
The patterns of trophic transfer of microplastic ingestion by fish in the artificial reef area and adjacent waters of Haizhou Bay
Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by fish in Haizhou Bay's artificial reef area, finding evidence of trophic transfer where predatory species accumulated more microplastics than lower trophic level species in the food web.
Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina
This study examined how microplastics transfer through marine food webs via predator-prey interactions, tracking the movement of particles across trophic levels. Results confirmed that microplastics can be transferred from prey to predator and accumulate at higher trophic levels, posing risks to top predators and fisheries.
Microplastic in tissue of marine organisms
This review summarizes microplastic detection across various marine organism tissues, cataloging accumulation in fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals and highlighting that ingestion and trophic transfer are widespread across marine food webs.