Microplastic Occurrence in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) from northeastern Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Nowadays, the majority of marine debris consists of microplastic particles. For that reason, microplastic pollution in marine environments and its potential impacts on marine animals has been extensively studied. This study was developed to investigate the bioindicator potential of Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) for the monitoring of microplastic pollution. A totally, 21 individuals were sampled from Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean Sea on April 2022, and their gastrointestinal tracts were examined for microplastic occurrence. Mean microplastic abundance was found as 2.06±1.88 particles/individual in positive samples and 1.47±1.83 particles/individual in total samples. The microplastic detection rate was estimated as 71%. In terms of color, black (55%), blue (32%), red (10%) and brown (3%) microplastic particles were detected. Among all, the majority of the extracted particles were fiber in shape (93%) and followed by fragments (7%). The high frequency of detection and microplastic abundance estimated in this study showed that this specie could be used to monitor microplastic pollution in marine environments.