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Research Article
Lucas Desclos-Dukes
University of Bristol
Corresponding Author
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Plastic pollution is of increasing concern to marine ecosystems worldwide. Specifically, microplastics (<5mm) may interact with a variety of biota with potential to cause harm to organism health. Studies concerning microplastics are increasing, yet their occurrence within live marine mammals remains largely unexplored. Here, faecal samples collected from a haul-out site in the North Sea, were used to investigate microplastic pollution within grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). 71 microplastic particles, consisting of both fibres and fragments in a variety of colours and sizes, were identified across 66 scat subsamples analysed. This indicates that marine mammals are ingesting microplastics and that faecal material can be used to indirectly and humanely record microplastic uptake data in pinnipeds. Since the current paper is the first to document microplastic exposure amongst wild, living and free-ranging grey seals in the North Sea, further research is needed to begin to understand the biological significance of these findings.
Keywords
Investigating Microplastic, Halichoerus Grypus, microplastic particles
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This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Research Article
Lucas Desclos-Dukes
University of Bristol
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 07 Jan, 2021
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Veterinary Epidemiology
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Plastic pollution is of increasing concern to marine ecosystems worldwide. Specifically, microplastics (<5mm) may interact with a variety of biota with potential to cause harm to organism health. Studies concerning microplastics are increasing, yet their occurrence within live marine mammals remains largely unexplored. Here, faecal samples collected from a haul-out site in the North Sea, were used to investigate microplastic pollution within grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). 71 microplastic particles, consisting of both fibres and fragments in a variety of colours and sizes, were identified across 66 scat subsamples analysed. This indicates that marine mammals are ingesting microplastics and that faecal material can be used to indirectly and humanely record microplastic uptake data in pinnipeds. Since the current paper is the first to document microplastic exposure amongst wild, living and free-ranging grey seals in the North Sea, further research is needed to begin to understand the biological significance of these findings.
Figure 1
Figure 2
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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