Microplastics on the Menu: Plastics Pollute Indonesian Manta Ray and Whale Shark Feeding Grounds

Germanov, Elitza S.; Marshall, Andrea D.; Hendrawan, I Gede; Admiraal, Ryan; Rohner, Christoph; Argeswara, Janis; Wulandari, Raka; Himawan, Mahardika Rizqi; Loneragan, N.R.

doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00679

Cited by 67 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…The presence of MP in all coastal samples collected in this study is in accordance to reported MP pollution levels close to shore and to estuaries, either at Portuguese (Frias et al, 2014), European (Pedrotti et al, 2016;Frère et al, 2017), Gulf of Mexico (Di Mauro et al, 2017) or Indonesian (Germanov et al, 2019) waters. The mean MP concentration found in this study (0.45 ± 0.52 items m −3 ) was higher than levels found in other Portuguese locations such as the Douro estuary (0.17 ± 0.16 items m −3 ; Rodrigues et al, 2019) and others (Aveiro: 0.002 ± 0.001 items m −3 ; Lisboa: 0.033 ± 0.021 items m −3 ; Costa Vicentina: 0.036 ± 0.027 items m −3 ; Algarve: 0.014 ± 0.012 items m −3 ; Frias et al, 2014), but was lower than values reported by Bessa et al (2018) for the Mondego estuary (1.53 ± 1.04 items m −3 ).…”

Section: Discussion Presence and Mean Concentration Of Microplastics supporting

confidence: 91%

Distribution Patterns of Microplastics in Seawater Surface at a Portuguese Estuary and Marine Park

Rodrigues

Antunes

Otero

et al. 2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Measuring local levels of marine pollution by microplastics (MP) and identifying potential sources in coastal areas is essential to evaluate the associated impacts to environment and biota. The accumulation of floating MP at the sea surface is of great concern as the neustonic habitat consists of a feeding ground for primary consumers (including filter-feeders) and active predators, which makes these organisms a relevant via of MP input into the marine trophic chain. Here, a baseline evaluation of MP accumulation at the sea surface was conducted with a neuston net (335 μm mesh) at the Arrábida coastal area, in Portugal. The study site encompasses a marine protected area and an estuary, both under strong anthropogenic pressures due to multiple activities taking place. A short-term investigation on local spatiotemporal distribution, concentration and composition of MP was performed for the first time, through the monthly collection (summer 2018 to winter 2019) of samples at 6 stations. All the neuston samples contained MP and their mean concentration was 0.45 ± 0.52 items m−3 (mean ± SD). Both the averaged MP:neuston and MP:ichthyoplankton ratios were higher in December, when concentrations of organisms decreased. Temporal distribution patterns followed expected trends, as MP concentration was clearly higher in winter months due to precipitation and runoff. Although mean MP concentrations did not vary significantly between sampling stations, there was a spatial distribution of MP in relation to particle shape and size. Fragments were the most abundant shape and MP belonging to 1–2 mm size class were dominant. Amongst a diversity of 10 polymers identified by FTIR analysis, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and copolymer PP/PE were the most abundant. Potential links between local sources/activities and the different polymers were suggested. Altogether, the information provided in this study aims to raise awareness among the identified sectors and consequently to act toward the prevention of MP inputs in the region.

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Section: Discussion Presence and Mean Concentration Of Microplastics supporting

confidence: 91%

Distribution Patterns of Microplastics in Seawater Surface at a Portuguese Estuary and Marine Park

Rodrigues

Antunes

Otero

et al. 2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…The second pathway for exposure could be through direct engulfment alongside target prey species. Habitat use has been identified as a potential driver of plastic ingestion for other elasmobranch species, including whale sharks and manta rays 41 , as well as bony fish species 82 . The sharks analysed in this study all display similar strategies while feeding in their demersal habitat, in that to swallow their prey, they engulf it whole using suction feeding 83,84 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is thought that some species of elasmobranch may be at higher risk of microplastic ingestion based on their feeding strategies or habitat use 35 . Filter feeding species (such as whale sharks and basking sharks) that occupy habitats which overlap areas with high densities of plastic pollution have been suggested to be at higher risk of microplastic ingestion 35 , 40 , 41 . Many shark species, however, are non-filter feeders, instead feeding on a range of larger organisms such as fish, crustaceans, marine turtles and marine mammals, all of which have records of microplastic ingestion 22 – 24 , 27 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the presence of microplastics in demersal sharks of the North-East Atlantic

Parton

Godley

Santillo

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Microplastic pollution is ubiquitous in the marine environment and is ingested by numerous marine species. Sharks are an understudied group regarding their susceptibility to microplastic ingestion. Here, we provide evidence of ingestion of microplastic and other anthropogenic fibres in four demersal sharks species found in the waters of the United Kingdom and investigate whether body burdens of contamination vary according to species, sex or size. Sharks were collected from the northEast Atlantic. Stomachs and digestive tracts of 46 sharks of 4 species were examined and 67% of samples contained at least one contaminant particle. Although we acknowledge modest sample size, estimated particle burden increased with body size but did not vary systematically with sex or species. A total of 379 particles were identified, leading to median estimates ranging from 2 to 7.5 ingested contaminants per animal for the 4 species. The majority were fibrous in nature (95%) and blue (88%) or black (9%) in colour. A subsample of contaminants (N = 62) were subject to FT-IR spectroscopy and polymers identified as: synthetic cellulose (33.3%), polypropylene (25%), polyacrylamides (10%) and polyester (8.3%). The level of risk posed to shark species by this level of contamination is unknown. Nevertheless, this study presents the first empirical evidence and an important baseline for ingestion of microplastics and other anthropogenic fibres in native UK shark species and highlights the pervasive nature of these pollutants. plastics in the marine environment. Research on plastic in the marine environment has accelerated rapidly in the last decade, with numerous publications describing its impact on ecosystems and marine taxa 1-7. It is estimated that between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year from a variety of sources 6. Plastic is a popular material due to its durability, low production cost and efficiency in its uses 8. It is these properties, alongside its often disposable nature that leads to its prevalence in the environment for many years 9. Microplastics (defined as plastic particles < 5 mm) 10 are ubiquitous in the marine environment 11-13. Despite this knowledge, quantitative assessments of their abundance are still fairly limited 14 , although some estimates place their abundance at 5.25 trillion particles globally, weighing in at over 250,000 tonnes 5. Microplastics, in the form of fibres, fragments or beads/spheres, assimilate in the marine ecosystem via multiple avenues. Larger pieces of plastic can disintegrate over time due to UV radiation exposure, wave action and physical abrasion, eventually fragmenting into microscopic particles 15. Microplastics are also found in many everyday items used by humans including cosmetic products and can be produced by clothing wear 16-19. These can then reach the oceans via wastewater treatment plants 20. ingestion of microplastics in marine species. Ingestion of microplastics is reported in many marine species including turtles, marine mammals and fish 1,21...

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“…late age of maturity, long gestation period, low fecundity) make them particularly susceptible to exploitation (Dulvy et al 2014) and rising anthropogenic threats. Other significant, yet less-studied threats to manta rays include ingestion of microplastics (Germanov et al 2019b), vessel-strike injuries (McGregor et al 2019), un sustainable tourism (Venables et al 2016), habitat destruction and climate change (Stewart et al 2018a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban manta rays: potential manta ray nursery habitat along a highly developed Florida coastline

Pate

Marshall

2020

Endang. Species. Res.

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The giant oceanic manta ray Mobula birostris was listed in the US Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in 2018, yet insufficient data exist on manta populations throughout US waters to designate critical habitat. Taxonomic and genetic evidence suggests that manta rays in the Western Atlantic are a separate species (M. cf. birostris) and little is understood about the ecology and life history of this putative species. The juvenile life stage of both M. birostris and M. cf. birostris is particularly understudied. Here, we are the first to describe the characteristics of a manta ray population along a highly developed coastline in southeastern Florida using boat-based surveys and photo identification of individuals. Fifty-nine manta individuals were identified between 2016 and 2019. All males were sexually immature based on clasper development, and 96% of females were classified as immature based on size and absence of mating scars or visible pregnancies. Twenty-five (42%) individuals were observed more than once during the study period and 8 individuals were sighted over multiple years. The occurrence of juveniles, high site fidelity and extended use of the study area by juvenile manta rays suggest that southeastern Florida may serve as a nursery habitat. High occurrence of fishing line entanglement (27% of individuals) and vessel strike injury were documented, and rapid wound healing was observed. Future research and conservation efforts will focus on identifying the physical and biological features of the potential nursery habitat and on mitigation of anthropogenic impacts.

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Microplastics on the Menu: Plastics Pollute Indonesian Manta Ray and Whale Shark Feeding Grounds

Cited by 67 publications

References 105 publications

Distribution Patterns of Microplastics in Seawater Surface at a Portuguese Estuary and Marine Park

Distribution Patterns of Microplastics in Seawater Surface at a Portuguese Estuary and Marine Park

Investigating the presence of microplastics in demersal sharks of the North-East Atlantic

Urban manta rays: potential manta ray nursery habitat along a highly developed Florida coastline

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