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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Investigating microplastic trophic transfer in marine top predators
ClearInvestigating 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.
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.
Investigating Microplastic Presence Amongst Grey Seals (Halichoerus Grypus) of the North Sea
Researchers analyzed fecal samples from grey seals in the North Sea and found 71 microplastic particles — mostly fibers and fragments — confirming that wild marine mammals in European waters are ingesting microplastics through their prey. Marine mammals at the top of the food chain can accumulate microplastics from the fish they eat.
Investigating the Presence and Trophic Transfer of Microplastics in Ex- and In-Situ North American Otters Through Scat and Diet Analysis
Researchers analyzed scat from wild and captive sea otters and river otters in the North Pacific to detect microplastic ingestion and investigate trophic transfer through their prey. The study found evidence of microplastics in otter feces, confirming that these top predators are exposed to microplastics through their diet of fish and invertebrates.
What goes in, must come out: Combining scat-based molecular diet analysis and quantification of ingested microplastics in a marine top predator
Researchers developed a combined methodology using DNA metabarcoding of grey seal scat and microplastic isolation to study dietary exposure of marine top predators to microplastics via trophic transfer. The pipeline successfully identified prey species and quantified microplastics from the same scat samples, enabling linked dietary and contamination analysis.
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.
From 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.
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 effects of trophic transfer and environmental factors on microplastic uptake by plaice, Pleuronectes plastessa, and spider crab, Maja squinado
Researchers examined microplastic uptake in plaice and spider crab from the Celtic Sea alongside their prey (sand eels), finding plastic contamination in roughly 42–50% of all three species and documenting the first confirmed trophic transfer of microplastics from prey to predator in a wild marine food chain, though proximity to land rather than fishing intensity predicted exposure levels.
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.
Microplastics Risk into a Three-Link Food Chain Inside European Hake
Researchers demonstrated microplastic trophic transfer through a three-link food chain inside European hake, finding microplastics in northern krill, blue whiting prey fish, and hake stomachs from the Cantabrian Sea, confirming field evidence of bioaccumulation through predator-prey relationships.
Handle with Care—Microplastic Particles in Intestine Samples of Seals from German Waters
Researchers found microplastic particles — mostly fragments and fibers — in the intestines and feces of harbor seals and grey seals in German North Sea and Baltic Sea waters. This confirms microplastics have reached marine mammal top predators, raising concerns about contamination throughout the food chain.
Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics are ingested and transferred through a planktonic food web, with particles passing from primary producers to zooplankton grazers and on to predatory plankton, establishing trophic transfer as a real pathway for microplastic movement through marine food chains.
Occurrence of Microplastics in Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) and Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) from German Waters
The gastrointestinal tracts of 63 harbour and grey seals from German North Sea and Baltic Sea waters were examined for microplastics, with 540 suspected particles identified in intestinal samples and 228 in stomach samples, predominantly fibers and fragments. No significant correlations were found between microplastic presence and parasite infestation or inflammatory responses, though fragments showed evidence of retention in the gut.
Application of marine organisms at multi-trophic level to study the integrated biological responses induced by microplastics through food-chain
Researchers used marine organisms across multiple trophic levels to study how microplastics move and accumulate through the food chain, finding that toxicological effects intensify at higher trophic levels due to bioaccumulation of plastic particles and associated chemical pollutants.
Plastic ingestion and trophic transfer in an endangered top predator, the longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus), from the tropical western Pacific Ocean
This study documented plastic ingestion and trophic transfer in longfin mako sharks from the tropical western Pacific, finding plastics in both the stomach contents and prey items of this endangered species, demonstrating that microplastic contamination reaches apex marine predators through trophic pathways.
From prey to predator: an in-situ observation of microplastic trophic transfer from Mytilus edulis to Asterias rubens
Researchers conducted an in-situ experiment at the White Sea to track how polyethylene microplastics transfer through the food chain from filter-feeding mussels to predatory starfish. They confirmed that starfish ingested microplastics not only from the water but also through consuming contaminated mussels, establishing a trophic transfer coefficient of 0.36. The findings provide direct evidence of microplastic movement between trophic levels in marine invertebrates.
Microplastic accumulation via trophic transfer: Can a predatory crab counter the adverse effects of microplastics by body defence?
Trophic transfer and accumulation of microplastics were studied in a predatory crab to examine whether predation from lower trophic levels contributes to microplastic body burden. The study found that the crab accumulated microplastics through both filter feeding from water and consumption of contaminated prey, suggesting that higher trophic predators cannot fully avoid microplastic exposure through dietary selectivity.
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.
Using a non‐invasive technique to identify suspected microplastics in grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) living in the western North Sea
Faecal samples from living wild grey seals in the western North Sea were analyzed for suspected microplastics, representing the first non-invasive record of microplastic exposure in this wild pinniped population. The study demonstrates that faecal analysis can provide indirect evidence of microplastic ingestion in free-ranging marine mammals without requiring capture or euthanasia.