Microplastic ingestion by planktivorous fish in the Canary Current

Abstract

Marine plastic debris is present worldwide at all depths in the ocean water column and can affect all marine habitats and the organisms living in it. In the last decade, microplastics (MPs) have become a subject of intense investigation due to the increasing concerns about their negative impact on wildlife and possible toxicity to living organisms (including humans). In the ocean MPs can be easily ingested by numerous marine organisms because of their small size (<5 mm). The Northwest African upwelling system is an important fishery region. This study is the first one to reveal the presence of MP particles in the stomach contents of two zooplanktivorous fish species in the Canary Current region: bogue (Boops boops) and Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias). From 64 fish samples examined, 21 fish stomachs (33%) contained microplastic fragments.