Quantifying the risk of plastic ingestion by ichthyofauna in the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea)

This study investigates the risk plastic debris ingestion poses to coastal marine taxa in the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean Sea. Here, we use species observations and environmental data to model habitat maps for 42 species of fish. For each species, we then match estimates of habitat...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Compa, Montserrat, Wilcox, Chris, Hardesty, Britta Denise, Alomar, Carme, March, David, Deudero, Salud
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:digitalcsic_::3bb382e8685dfd3deb74629185337f0b
Acceso en línea:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114075
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/317329
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares
Medio Marino
fish
marine pollution
biodiversity
ingestion
zoology
Descripción
Sumario:This study investigates the risk plastic debris ingestion poses to coastal marine taxa in the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean Sea. Here, we use species observations and environmental data to model habitat maps for 42 species of fish. For each species, we then match estimates of habitat suitability against the spatial distribution of plastic debris to quantify plastic exposure, which we further combine with species-wise ingestion rates to map the risk of plastic ingestion. The results indicate that the risk of plastic ingestion is particularly high in the north-west and south-east regions and the risks varied strongly between species, with those at higher trophic levels being the most vulnerable overall. Extending this work to other coastal regions within the Mediterranean Sea and beyond will allow managers and policymakers to target the most appropriate areas and types of interventions for mitigating plastic pollution on coastal diversity in the marine environment.