Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Influence of marine habitat on microplastic prevalence in forage fish and salmon in the Salish Sea

Scientists examined microplastic ingestion in forage fish and juvenile salmon across different marine habitats in the Salish Sea of the Pacific Northwest. They found that fish from nearshore urban areas had more microplastics in their stomachs than those from offshore or less developed areas. The results suggest that habitat type and proximity to human activity are important predictors of microplastic exposure in marine food webs.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing size-based exposure to microplastic particles and ingestion pathways in zooplankton and herring in a coastal pelagic ecosystem of British Columbia, Canada

Researchers assessed size-based microplastic exposure and ingestion pathways in zooplankton and larval Pacific herring in British Columbia's coastal waters, finding evidence of both direct consumption and trophic transfer of microplastics through the pelagic food web.

2021 Marine Ecology Progress Series 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish from a natural estuarine environment

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial fish caught from a natural estuarine environment and found microplastics in a significant proportion of individuals, documenting both occurrence rates and particle characteristics.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 586 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic concentration and composition in surface waters and in stream-rearing Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a rural coastal California stream

A survey of a rural coastal California stream found microplastics in both the water and in 60% of juvenile steelhead trout sampled, with fibers making up the dominant particle type in both cases. Microplastic levels in the water peaked during the low-flow summer months, suggesting that reduced dilution allows particles to accumulate seasonally. The high rate of microplastic ingestion in juvenile steelhead—a threatened species—raises concern about whether plastic ingestion contributes to the population pressures already facing these fish.

2026 Environmental Pollution and Management
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characterization of microplastic content in the digestive system of riverine fishes

Researchers found microplastics in 93.8% of riverine fish examined, with polystyrene, polyethylene, and nylon being the most common polymer types concentrated near urban and industrial areas, and small particles (0.025-1 mm) predominating across species.

2021 Journal of Environmental Management 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Consumption of microplastic polyethylene terephthalate by juvenile salmon Oncorhynchus (Parasalmo) mykiss under artificial conditions

Researchers studied the effect of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on juvenile Kamchatka steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under laboratory conditions, distributing 30 fish across control and treatment aquariums to assess ingestion and physiological impacts.

2025 Problems of fisheries
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and retention of microplastics in the digestive tracts of fish from the Yellow Sea

Researchers systematically characterized microplastics in 19 fish species from the Yellow Sea coast of China, finding plastic retention in 34% of individual fish sampled, with fibers dominating and significant variation in microplastic load by species and habitat.

2019 Environmental Pollution 138 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of the composition and abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract of fish in the Banjaran River, Banyumas District

Researchers identified and quantified microplastic composition and abundance in digestive tract contents of wild-caught fish from a coastal fishery, documenting ingestion rates, polymer types, and particle morphologies across multiple commercially important species.

2025 Acta Aquatica Aquatic Sciences Journal
Article Tier 2

Plastic ingestion by juvenile polar cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Arctic Ocean

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal contents of juvenile polar cod caught in the Arctic Ocean and found plastic fragments, demonstrating that even juvenile fish in remote Arctic waters are ingesting microplastics.

2018 Polar Biology 124 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tract of some species of caught fish from Oman Sea

Researchers found microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of fish species sampled from marine environments, documenting plastic ingestion across multiple species. The study contributes to the growing evidence base on microplastic contamination in commercially important fish.

2019 SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of pelagic and demersal fish from the English Channel

Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of both pelagic and demersal fish species and found microplastics in individuals from both groups, suggesting that microplastic ingestion occurs across fish species regardless of their position in the water column.

2012 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1993 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of microplastic in fillet and organs of farmed and wild salmonids- a comparison of methods for detection and quantification

Three analytical methods were compared for detecting microplastics in salmon tissue, and all three found low but measurable concentrations. The study highlights both the promise and limitations of current methods, underscoring the need for standardization to accurately assess how much plastic consumers ingest through farmed and wild salmon.

2020 Duo Research Archive (University of Oslo) 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of Microplastics by Zooplankton in the Northeast Pacific Ocean

Researchers collected zooplankton from the northeast Pacific Ocean and found microplastics ingested by multiple species, demonstrating that microplastic uptake occurs throughout the open ocean zooplankton community far from coastlines.

2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 994 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by small coastal fish in the northern Baltic Sea, Finland

Researchers found microplastics in 9% of 424 small coastal fish examined in the northern Baltic Sea, with urban Helsinki sites showing the highest prevalence (27.5%), and no relationship found between fish size or species and microplastic ingestion, suggesting coastal urbanization as a key driver.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Decreased growth and survival in small juvenile fish, after chronic exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic

Researchers exposed juvenile glassfish to environmentally realistic concentrations of both virgin and harbor-collected microplastics for 95 days, finding that fish in plastic-fed groups grew significantly less in length, depth, and mass, and had lower survival probability than controls.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 189 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic in digestive tracts and gills of cod and herring from the Baltic Sea

Researchers found plastic particles in the digestive tracts and gills of Baltic Sea cod and herring, with ingestion rates and particle types differing between the two species, indicating widespread exposure of commercially important fish to plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

The influences of spatial-temporal variability and ecological drivers on microplastic in marine fish in Hong Kong

Researchers found that over 57% of marine fish in Hong Kong waters contained microplastics, with higher abundance in fish from more polluted western waters during the wet season, and that omnivorous fish ingested significantly more microplastics than carnivorous fish regardless of collection location or season.

2023 Environmental Pollution 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Nearshore and Subtidal Sediments in the Salish Sea: Implications for Marine Habitats and Exposure

Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in nearshore and subtidal sediments across the Salish Sea, focusing on spawning habitats for forage fish species. They found microplastics at every sampling site, with microfibers being most abundant and significantly higher concentrations near urban areas in Puget Sound compared to the San Juan Islands. The findings indicate that forage fish and their eggs are likely exposed to microplastics in their critical nearshore habitats, with potential implications for the broader marine food web.

2025 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fibres in juvenile European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) from Swansea Bay

Researchers investigated the prevalence of microplastic fibres in juvenile European plaice and whiting collected from marine environments, contributing occurrence data on microplastic fibre ingestion in commercially important juvenile fish species.

2024 BioShorts.
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of plastic by fish destined for human consumption in remote South Pacific Islands

Plastic was found in the digestive tracts of 24 fish species collected from local fishermen and markets across remote South Pacific islands, with species consuming plastic regardless of feeding guild. The results raise public health concerns for Pacific island communities where fish is a dietary staple and plastic marine debris is widespread.

2018 Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs 51 citations