TY - JOUR
T1 - Amberstripe scad Decapterus muroadsi (Carangidae) fish ingest blue microplastics resembling their copepod prey along the coast of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the South Pacific subtropical gyre
AU - Ory, Nicolas Christian
AU - Sobral, Paula
AU - Ferreira, Joana Lia
AU - Thiel, Martin
N1 - FONDECYT from the Chilean Ministry of Education (3150636)
Chilean Millennium Initiative (NC120030)
Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT-PT) (UID/IVIAR/04292/2013)
SFRH/BSAB/113789/2015
PY - 2017/5/15
Y1 - 2017/5/15
N2 - An increasing number of studies have described the presence of microplastics (≤ 5 mm) in many different fish species, raising ecological concerns. The factors influencing the ingestion of microplastics by fish remain unclear despite their importance to a better understanding of the routes of microplastics through marine food webs. Here, we compare microplastics and planktonic organisms in surface waters and as food items of 20 Amberstripe scads (Decapterus muroadsi) captured along the coast of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to assess the hypothesis that fish ingest microplastics resembling their natural prey. Sixteen (80%) of the scad had ingested one to five microplastics, mainly blue polyethylene fragments that were similar in colour and size to blue copepod species consumed by the same fish. These results suggest that planktivorous fish, as a consequence of their feeding behaviour as visual predators, are directly exposed to floating microplastics. This threat may be exacerbated in the clear oceanic waters of the subtropical gyres, where anthropogenic litter accumulates in great quantity. Our study highlights the menace of microplastic contamination on the integrity of fragile remote ecosystems and the urgent need for efficient plastic waste management.
AB - An increasing number of studies have described the presence of microplastics (≤ 5 mm) in many different fish species, raising ecological concerns. The factors influencing the ingestion of microplastics by fish remain unclear despite their importance to a better understanding of the routes of microplastics through marine food webs. Here, we compare microplastics and planktonic organisms in surface waters and as food items of 20 Amberstripe scads (Decapterus muroadsi) captured along the coast of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to assess the hypothesis that fish ingest microplastics resembling their natural prey. Sixteen (80%) of the scad had ingested one to five microplastics, mainly blue polyethylene fragments that were similar in colour and size to blue copepod species consumed by the same fish. These results suggest that planktivorous fish, as a consequence of their feeding behaviour as visual predators, are directly exposed to floating microplastics. This threat may be exacerbated in the clear oceanic waters of the subtropical gyres, where anthropogenic litter accumulates in great quantity. Our study highlights the menace of microplastic contamination on the integrity of fragile remote ecosystems and the urgent need for efficient plastic waste management.
KW - Copepod prey
KW - Microplastic contamination
KW - Planktivorous fish
KW - Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
KW - South Pacific subtropical gyre
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011990305&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.175
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.175
M3 - Article
C2 - 28196756
AN - SCOPUS:85011990305
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 586
SP - 430
EP - 437
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -