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Dias VHV, Mattos JJ, Serafini PP, Lüchmann KH, Bainy ACD. A systematic review of the impact of chemical pollution on sea turtles: Insights from biomarkers of aquatic contamination. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 480:135813. [PMID: 39298959 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
Chemical anthropogenic contaminants in the marine environment pose a substantial threat to sea turtles. The current systematic review quantified the published literature on biomarkers of aquatic contamination in sea turtles. It examined the exposure and potential impacts of pollution at biochemical, molecular, and cellular levels, as indicated by these biomarkers. Eighty-seven primary peer-reviewed papers were included, most of which were published from 2013 onwards. Most studies focused on the species Chelonia mydas (n = 43 papers) and Caretta caretta (n = 36) and used blood samples for biomarker (n = 54) and chemical (n = 38) analyses. Chemical analyses were assessed alongside biomarker analyses in most studies (n = 71). Some studies indicated possible damage to the DNA, cells, oxidative balance, and reproduction of sea turtles associated with chemical contaminants as metals, emerging, and mixtures of organic pollutants. Research gaps and recommendations for future studies were addressed to help understand the toxicity of chemical pollutants in sea turtles. The purpose of this review is to contribute for supporting actions to mitigate the threats posed by pollution to these protected species, as well as to plan new studies in this research field for both conservation and biomonitoring purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Helena Vidal Dias
- Laboratory of Biomarkers of Aquatic Contamination and Immunochemistry (LABCAI), Federal University of Santa Catarina, CEP:88037000, Brazil
| | - Jacó Joaquim Mattos
- Laboratory of Biomarkers of Aquatic Contamination and Immunochemistry (LABCAI), Federal University of Santa Catarina, CEP:88037000, Brazil
| | - Patricia Pereira Serafini
- Laboratory of Biomarkers of Aquatic Contamination and Immunochemistry (LABCAI), Federal University of Santa Catarina, CEP:88037000, Brazil
| | - Karim Hahn Lüchmann
- Department of Scientific and Technological Education, Santa Catarina State University, CEP: 88035001, Brazil
| | - Afonso Celso Dias Bainy
- Laboratory of Biomarkers of Aquatic Contamination and Immunochemistry (LABCAI), Federal University of Santa Catarina, CEP:88037000, Brazil.
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2
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Yaghmour F, Samara F, Al Hammadi M, Ahmad W, Abu-Farha N, Ploeg R, Gillett A, Yousuf M, Philip S, Els J, Budd J. Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in sea snakes (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae) from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 206:116666. [PMID: 38991611 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
This study reports OCP and PAH concentrations in the tissues of stranded sea snakes from Sharjah, UAE. Samples from 10 Hydrophis lapemoides, 2 Hydrophis ornatus and 1 Hydrophis curtus were analyzed. Muscle, liver and fat tissues were extracted using micro-QuEChERs, followed by d-SPE and analyzed using GC/MS. Higher concentrations of OCPs were detected, while PAHs were more frequently detected. Significant correlations suggest that OCPs and PAHs do bioaccumulate in the tissues of sea snakes. Additionally, OCPs with lower log Kow (octanol-water partition coefficient) values were mainly detected in the muscle samples of H. lapemoides, whereas OCPs with higher log Kow values were more commonly present in the liver and fat samples. The concentrations of OCPs reported in this study were higher than those previously documented in other marine reptiles in the UAE or sea snakes from different geographical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi Yaghmour
- Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre (Scientific Research Department), Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Fatin Samara
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Meera Al Hammadi
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Waqas Ahmad
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nedal Abu-Farha
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Richard Ploeg
- Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amber Gillett
- Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, 4519, QLD, Australia
| | - Mohamed Yousuf
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Susannah Philip
- Breeding Centre of Endangered Arabian Wildlife (Veterinary Department), Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Johannes Els
- Breeding Centre of Endangered Arabian Wildlife (Veterinary Department), Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jane Budd
- Breeding Centre of Endangered Arabian Wildlife (Veterinary Department), Environment and Protected Areas Authority, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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3
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Kuzukiran O, Simsek I, Kara E, Yurdakok-Dikmen B, Boztepe UG, Toprak M, Filazi A. An investigation of some persistent organic pollutants in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 205:116670. [PMID: 38968744 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The study assessed persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Caretta caretta turtles along Turkish coasts, analyzing bioaccumulation in accessible organs and discerning sex-related differences. Ten adult turtles (5 males, 5 females) from Mugla province were sampled post-mortem. Various tissues were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. DDT distribution showed no sex-based difference, with concentrations highest in fat tissue followed by liver, kidney, muscle, spleen, and heart. Male PCB concentrations ranked highest in fat, followed by kidney, liver, spleen, muscle, and heart, while females showed a similar trend. PAH concentrations were highest in fat for both sexes, followed by various organs. Limited PBDE concentrations hindered comprehensive evaluation. Overall, C. caretta act as effective bioindicators for monitoring environmental pollution, with certain POPs exhibiting sex and organ-based variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozgur Kuzukiran
- Eldivan Vocational School of Health Services, Cankiri Karatekin University, Eldivan 18700, Cankiri, Turkey
| | - Ilker Simsek
- Eldivan Vocational School of Health Services, Cankiri Karatekin University, Eldivan 18700, Cankiri, Turkey
| | - Erdem Kara
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Ankara University, 06070 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Begum Yurdakok-Dikmen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, 06070 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ummu Gulsum Boztepe
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Ankara University, 06070 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Meryem Toprak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University, 23200 Elazig, Turkey
| | - Ayhan Filazi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, 06070 Ankara, Turkey.
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4
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Matiddi M, Valente T, Camedda A, Centelleghe C, Cocumelli C, Dara S, de Lucia GA, Di Renzo L, Ferri N, Gioacchini G, Hochscheid S, Lucifora G, Maffucci F, Monteverde V, Pelamatti T, Petrella A, Pietroluongo G, Roncari C, Terracciano G, Silvestri C. Are we even close? Five years marine litter ingestion monitoring in loggerhead turtles along Italian coast reveals how far we are from the Good Environmental Status. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 205:116647. [PMID: 38941806 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
The loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta has been chosen as bioindicator to monitor the amount of litter ingested by marine animals within the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Barcelona Regional Sea Convention. European Member States and Contracting Parties are committed to achieve the Good Environmental Status (GES), which is reached when the quantity of ingested litter does not adversely affect the health of the species concerned. Although the monitoring strategy has been outlined for more than a decade, to date no threshold values have been adopted to verify GES achievement. After five years of extensive monitoring along the Italian coasts, this study evaluates the suitability of five different GES scenarios and proposes a new threshold value (i.e., "there should be less than 33% of sea turtles having more than 0.05 g of ingested plastic in the GI") for its implementation in the European seas and the Mediterranean basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Matiddi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, CN-LAB, Nekton Lab., Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Tommaso Valente
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, CN-LAB, Nekton Lab., Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Roma, RM, Italy; 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, RM, Italy.
| | - Andrea Camedda
- IAS-CNR, Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Cinzia Centelleghe
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, V.le dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.; CONISMA, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, P.le Flaminio 9, 00196 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Cristiano Cocumelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Salvatore Dara
- Centro Referenza Nazionale Tartarughe Marine (C.Re.Ta.M), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, PA, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- IAS-CNR, Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Ludovica Di Renzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Laboratorio Ecosistemi Acquatici e Terrestri, Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, TE, Italy; Centro Studi Cetacei Onlus, Via Mario Mantini 15, 65125 Pescara, PE, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Laboratorio Ecosistemi Acquatici e Terrestri, Via Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, TE, Italy
| | - Giorgia Gioacchini
- Marche Polytechnic University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DiSVA), Via Brecce Bianche snc, 60131 Ancona, AN, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico del Mezzogiorno, sezione di Vibo Valentia, Corso Umberto I 362, 89852 Mileto, VV, Italy
| | - Fulvio Maffucci
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monteverde
- Centro Referenza Nazionale Tartarughe Marine (C.Re.Ta.M), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, PA, Italy
| | - Tania Pelamatti
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, CN-LAB, Nekton Lab., Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Antonio Petrella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia 20, Foggia, FO, Italy
| | - Guido Pietroluongo
- Dipartimento di Biomedicina Comparata e Alimentazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, V.le dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy.; CONISMA, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, P.le Flaminio 9, 00196 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Chiara Roncari
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuliana Terracciano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, CN-LAB, Nekton Lab., Via del Fosso di Fiorano 64, 00143 Roma, RM, Italy
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5
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Feitosa AF, Menezes ÍBHMP, Duarte OS, S B Salmito-Vanderley C, Carneiro PBM, Azevedo RNA, Oliveira AHB, Luz ACS, Nascimento AP, Nascimento RF, Martins LL, Cavalcante RM, Feitosa CV. The impact of chronic and acute problems on sea turtles: The consequences of the oil spill and ingestion of anthropogenic debris on the tropical semi-arid coast of Ceará, Brazil. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2024; 269:106867. [PMID: 38432024 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2024.106867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Sea turtle mortality is often related to materials that reach the coast from different anthropic activities worldwide. This study aimed to investigate whether sea turtle mortality was related to older marine problems, such as solid waste, or one of the largest oil spill accidents on the Brazilian coast, that occurred in 2019. We posed three questions: 1) Are there solid residues in the digestive tract samples, and which typology is the most abundant? 2) Can meso‑ and macro-waste marine pollutants cause mortality? 3) Is the dark material found really oil? A total of 25 gastrointestinal content (GC) samples were obtained, of which 22 ingested waste of anthropogenic origin and 18 were necropsied. These 22 samples were obtained during or after the 2019 oil spill, of which 17 specimens were affected, making it possible to suggest oil ingestion with the cause of death in the animals that could be necropsied. Macroscopic data showed that the most abundant solid waste was plastic (76.05 %), followed by fabrics (12.18 %) and oil-like materials. However, chemical data confirmed only three specimens with oil levels ranging from remnants to high. It was possible to infer possible causes of death in 16 of the total 18 necropsied cases: Most deaths were due to respiratory arrest (62.5 %), followed by pulmonary edema (12.5 %), cachexia syndrome (12.5 %), circulatory shock (6.25 %), and head trauma (6.25 %), which may have been caused by contact with solid waste, oil, or both. The study showed that not all dark material found in the GCs of turtles killed in oiled areas is truly oil, and in this sense, a chemical analysis step to prove the evidence of oil must be added to international protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice F Feitosa
- Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Marine Fish Ecology (Dipemar), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Verdeluz Institute, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Ícaro B H M P Menezes
- Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Marine Fish Ecology (Dipemar), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Oscar S Duarte
- Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Marine Fish Ecology (Dipemar), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Carminda S B Salmito-Vanderley
- Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Marine Fish Ecology (Dipemar), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Integrated Biotechnology Center - Animal Reproduction, State University of Ceará, , Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Pedro B M Carneiro
- Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Marine Fish Ecology (Dipemar), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Federal University of Delta do Parnaíba, Parnaíba, Brazil
| | - Rufino N A Azevedo
- Environmental Studies Laboratory (LEA), Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Dpto Campus Pici, Federal University of Ceará, Av. Mister Hull, s/n - Pici, CEP 60455-760, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - André H B Oliveira
- Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Environmental Studies Laboratory (LEA), Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Dpto Campus Pici, Federal University of Ceará, Av. Mister Hull, s/n - Pici, CEP 60455-760, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Marine Environments (INCT-AmbTropic, Phase II - Oil Spill), Brazil
| | - Ana C S Luz
- Environmental Studies Laboratory (LEA), Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Dpto Campus Pici, Federal University of Ceará, Av. Mister Hull, s/n - Pici, CEP 60455-760, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Adriana P Nascimento
- Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Laboratory for Assessment of Organic Contaminants (LACOr), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo F Nascimento
- Environmental Studies Laboratory (LEA), Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Dpto Campus Pici, Federal University of Ceará, Av. Mister Hull, s/n - Pici, CEP 60455-760, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Laercio L Martins
- Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Laboratory for Assessment of Organic Contaminants (LACOr), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering and Exploration (LENEP), North Fluminense State University (UENF), Macaé, Rio de Janeiro 27925-535, Brazil
| | - Rivelino M Cavalcante
- Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Marine Environments (INCT-AmbTropic, Phase II - Oil Spill), Brazil; Laboratory for Assessment of Organic Contaminants (LACOr), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Center of Chromatography Environmental and Petroleum (CECAMP/LABOMAR/UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil.
| | - Caroline V Feitosa
- Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Marine Fish Ecology (Dipemar), Institute of Marine Sciences- Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil; Tropical Marine Sciences Program/LABOMAR/UFC, Institute of Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceará (LABOMAR-UFC), Av. Abolição, 3207-Meireles, CEP: 60165-081, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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6
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Rodríguez Y, Rodríguez A, van Loon WMGM, Pereira JM, Frias J, Duncan EM, Garcia S, Herrera L, Marqués C, Neves V, Domínguez-Hernández C, Hernández-Borges J, Rodríguez B, Pham CK. Cory's shearwater as a key bioindicator for monitoring floating plastics. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108595. [PMID: 38552271 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The potential of using organisms as bioindicators of marine litter has been an area of general interest in multiple scientific and monitoring programs across the globe. Procellariiformes seabirds are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination, which makes them a research focus group. This study investigated plastic ingestion in deceased fledglings and adults Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) collected over eight years (2015 to 2022) at two Atlantic archipelagos: the Azores and the Canaries. Necropsies were carried out in a total of 1,238 individuals showing a high prevalence of plastic ingestion (90%), with approximately 80% of items recovered from the gizzard. Fledglings carried greater plastic loads compared to adults, yet plastic morphologies were similar between both age classes. The temporal analyses conducted with generalised additive mixed-effect models revealed a distinct temporal trend in plastic numbers, but not in terms of plastic mass. In addition, the spatial analyses showed that Cory's shearwaters from the Canary Islands ingest a higher quantity of plastic and a greater proportion of threadlike items than the Azorean birds. These results suggest higher contamination at the NW Africa foraging grounds next to the Canaries and highlight fisheries as a potential source of marine litter in that region. On the other hand, the information gathered from the Azorean birds suggests they would be able to monitor changes in the composition of the plastic items floating in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Overall, our outcomes support the use of Cory's shearwater fledglings that are victims of light pollution as a key bioindicator of plastic contamination in the North Atlantic. For its policy application, the presented threshold value in combination with the assessment method will enable effective tracking of floating plastic litter in the framework of the MSFD and OSPAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmina Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal.
| | - Airam Rodríguez
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain; Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Willem M G M van Loon
- Rijkswaterstaat, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Zuiderwagenplein 2, 8224 AD Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - João M Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
| | - João Frias
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre (MFRC), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), Old Dublin Rd., Galway H91 T8NW, Ireland
| | - Emily M Duncan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sofia Garcia
- Direção Regional de Políticas Marítimas, Secretaria Regional do Mar e das Pescas, Colónia Alemã - Apartado 9, 9900-014 Horta, Portugal
| | - Laura Herrera
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
| | - Cristina Marqués
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Verónica Neves
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
| | - Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Javier Hernández-Borges
- Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n. 38206, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Beneharo Rodríguez
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Christopher K Pham
- Instituto de Investigação em Ciências do Mar - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, 9900-138 HORTA, Portugal
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7
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Duncan EM, Akbora HD, Baldi P, Beton D, Broderick AC, Cicek BA, Crowe-Harland C, Davey S, DeSerisy T, Fuller WJ, Haywood JC, Hsieh YJ, Kaya E, Omeyer LCM, Ozkan M, Palmer JL, Roast E, Santillo D, Schneider MJ, Snape RTE, Sutherland KC, Godley BJ. Marine turtles as bio-indicators of plastic pollution in the eastern Mediterranean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 201:116141. [PMID: 38401386 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) has been suggested as a bio-indicator species for plastic pollution. However, detailed investigations in the eastern Mediterranean are limited. Here, we present data from loggerhead turtles (2012-2022; n = 131) of which 42.7 % (n = 57) had ingested macroplastic (pieces ≥ 5 mm). Frequency of occurrence (%) was not found to have changed over time, with body size (CCL cm), between stranded or bycaught turtles, or with levels of digesta present. The characteristics of ingested plastic (n = 492) were largely sheetlike (62 %), clear (41 %) or white (25 %) and the most common polymers identified were Polypropylene (37 %) and Polyethylene (35 %). Strong selectivity was displayed towards certain types, colours and shapes. Data are also presented for posthatchling turtles (n = 4), an understudied life stage. Much larger sample sizes will be needed for this species to be an effective bio-indicator, with the consideration of monitoring green turtles (Chelonia mydas) for the eastern Mediterranean recommended allowing a more holistic picture to be gathered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Duncan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Hasan Deniz Akbora
- Underwater Research and Imaging Centre, Biological Sciences Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, 99628 Famagusta, Cyprus; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eastern Mediterranean University, 99628 Famagusta, Cyprus
| | - Patrizia Baldi
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Damla Beton
- Society for Protection of Turtles, Levent Daire 1, Ulus Sokak, Gönyeli, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Annette C Broderick
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Burak Ali Cicek
- Underwater Research and Imaging Centre, Biological Sciences Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, 99628 Famagusta, Cyprus; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eastern Mediterranean University, 99628 Famagusta, Cyprus
| | - Charlotte Crowe-Harland
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Davey
- Society for Protection of Turtles, Levent Daire 1, Ulus Sokak, Gönyeli, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Tess DeSerisy
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Wayne J Fuller
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom; Society for Protection of Turtles, Levent Daire 1, Ulus Sokak, Gönyeli, Nicosia, Cyprus; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Julia C Haywood
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Jou Hsieh
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ecem Kaya
- Society for Protection of Turtles, Levent Daire 1, Ulus Sokak, Gönyeli, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Lucy C M Omeyer
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Meryem Ozkan
- Society for Protection of Turtles, Levent Daire 1, Ulus Sokak, Gönyeli, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Josie L Palmer
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Roast
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - David Santillo
- Greenpeace Research Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - M Jesse Schneider
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom; Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Robin T E Snape
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom; Society for Protection of Turtles, Levent Daire 1, Ulus Sokak, Gönyeli, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Katrina C Sutherland
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Brendan J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
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8
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Moretti S, Brambilla G, Maffucci F, Barola C, Bucaletti E, Hochscheid S, Canzanella S, Galarini R, Esposito M. Occurrence and pattern of legacy and emerging per- and Poly-FluoroAlkyl substances (PFAS) in eggs of loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta from western Mediterranean. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123257. [PMID: 38159636 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Per-and Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent, toxic, and mobile and chemicals both from industrial sources and from the use and disposal of Consumers products containing PFAS, whose concentration in marine food webs could pose a toxicological risk for biota and humans. In 2021, unhatched eggs were sampled from 41 loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nests from the Italian shores of the Campania Region (Southern Italy). Whole eggs were analysed for the presence of 66 legacy and emerging PFAS with Liquid Chromatography coupled to Hybrid High Resolution Mass Spectrometry. A median Σ66 Per- and Poly-FluoroAlkyl Substances value of 3.34 ng/g egg fresh weight was found; perfluoroctane sulfonate (PFOS) represented the most contributing congener (47%), followed by perfluoro-n-undecanoic acid, perfluoro-n-tridecanoic acid, perfluoro-n-decanoic acid, perfluoro-n-decanoic acid, and perfluoro-n-tetradecanoic acid, respectively. Such compounds showed a log-norm distribution, suggesting found concentrations could represent the baseline levels in the considered sampling area. Emerging ChloroPolyFluoroPolyEthers Carboxylic Acids (ClPFECAs) were found in 20 out of 41 samples in the range 0.01-1.59 ng/g. Four samples had 20-100 fold higher concentration compared to that of other samples, suggesting the presence of hot spot areas possibly related to presence of fluoropolymer-based marine litter turtles may ingest. The analysis of two paired eggs/liver samples recovered from stranded animals revealed PFAS concentration in the same order of magnitude, supporting the role of vitellogenin in their selective transfer to yolk. Significant (P = 0.0155) Kendall negative correlation coefficient of -0.2705 among PFOS content in eggs and the recorded hatching success prompts for further investigation on associated exposure assessment and related eco-toxicity risk. This work reports for the first time PFAS presence in georeferenced loggerhead turtle eggs of the Mediterranean Sea and results represent a starting point to study PFAS time-trends in this vulnerable species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Moretti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | | | - Fulvio Maffucci
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Carolina Barola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Bucaletti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Sandra Hochscheid
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Silvia Canzanella
- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione Tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, IZS Mezzogiorno, Via Salute 2, 80055 Portici Italy.
| | - Roberta Galarini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Dell'Umbria e Delle Marche, Via G. Salvemini, 1 06126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Mauro Esposito
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy.
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9
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Baes L, Santiago CD, Roman L, Dos Santos Costa PC, Pugliesi É, Reigada C. Beached seabirds as plastic biomonitors in Brazil from the Beach Monitoring Project of the Santos Basin (PMP-BS). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115847. [PMID: 38181467 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Bioindicator species are useful to monitor wildlife exposure to plastic pollution, and responses to plastic leakage and policy interventions. Here we explore the biomonitoring potential of different seabird and shorebirds species across six years of monitoring in Brazil. Using the necropsy stranding database of the Beach Monitoring Project of the Santos Basin (PMP-BS), we evaluated i) the frequency of birds-plastic interactions in Brazil; ii) whether plastic interactions have changed through time and in different coastal regions; and iii) potential bioindicators for monitoring the exposure of seabirds to plastic in the nearshore South Atlantic Ocean. We found 37 species that had ingested plastic, including ten new records, found that the rates of tube-nosed seabirds increased through time, and suggested two potential species. We discuss the potential for biomonitoring marine pollution in the South Atlantic Ocean using PMP-BS, providing a scheme for a better plastic pollution monitoring in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Baes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil; Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia, Av. Nina, 523 - Bairro Retiro das Caravelas, Cananéia, SP 11990-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil.
| | - Cristine Diniz Santiago
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Lauren Roman
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania 7004, Australia; CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, 3-4 Castray Esp, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Priscilla Carla Dos Santos Costa
- Instituto de Pesquisas Cananéia, Av. Nina, 523 - Bairro Retiro das Caravelas, Cananéia, SP 11990-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Silvestres FMVZ/USP, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária "Armando Salles de Oliveira", São Paulo, SP 05508-270, Brazil
| | - Érica Pugliesi
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Carolina Reigada
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Interações, Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luiz, s/n - Monjolinho, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil
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10
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Omedes S, Crespo-Picazo JL, Robinson NJ, García-Párraga D, Sole M. Identifying biomarkers of pollutant exposure in ocean sentinels: Characterisation and optimisation of B-esterases in plasma from loggerhead turtles undergoing rehabilitation. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 348:140770. [PMID: 37992900 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Sea turtles are frequently proposed as indicator species for assessing ocean health. To faciliate the use of these species as bioindicators requires the development of tools for rapidly and effectively assessing individual health. Here, we collected 104 blood samples from 69 loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, undergoing rehabilitation to determine the connection between health status, the activity of B-esterases, and other biochemical parameters. To determine the optimal assay protocol for B-esterases, we measured the activity and kinetics of cholinesterases-(ChEs) and carboxylesterases (CEs) using 3 and 5 commercial substrates, respectively, at different assay conditions. IC50 values for the activity of B-esterases were calculated within a concentration range for model pesticide inhibitors. Turtles' health status was determined via routine veterinary procedures. During rehabilitation (which was associated with improving health status), we observed a decrease in the activity of most enzymes (especially in acetylcholinesterase) alongside an increase in CE when using p-nitrophenyl acetate as a substrate. As such, it is possible that the activity rates of plasmatic B-esterases could serve as an indicator of health status. There is also high potential that B-esterases could be specifically sensitive to marine pollutants although to further validate this would require future studies to specifically correlate B-esterarse activities to pollutant concentrations in blood or excreta.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Omedes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J L Crespo-Picazo
- Fundació Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Gran Vía Marques del Turia 19, 46005, Valencia, Spain
| | - N J Robinson
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; Fundació Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Gran Vía Marques del Turia 19, 46005, Valencia, Spain
| | - D García-Párraga
- Fundació Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Gran Vía Marques del Turia 19, 46005, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Sole
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
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11
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Vella A, Vella N. Conservation Genetics of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta, from the Central Mediterranean: An Insight into the Species' Reproductive Behaviour in Maltese Waters. Animals (Basel) 2023; 14:137. [PMID: 38200868 PMCID: PMC10778046 DOI: 10.3390/ani14010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758), nestlings were investigated through specimens found dead either after hatching or unhatched (n = 120) from eight nests around the Maltese islands (Central Mediterranean). Molecular genetics was used to conduct maternity and paternity tests of the collected specimens utilizing expanded mitochondrial DNA sequences from the control region (858 bp) and 25 microsatellite loci (12 dinucleotide loci and 13 tetranucleotide loci). Mitochondrial data produced two haplotypes, CC-A2.1 and CC-A3.1, with the most common haplotype being present in seven nests. Microsatellite data revealed the identity of six different females that were involved in the deposition of the eggs in the eight turtle nests analysed. This confirms that two females laid multiple nests. Additionally, microsatellite data allowed for the determination of multiple paternity, with one clutch being sired by two fathers. These results are useful for monitoring the genetic diversity of loggerhead sea turtle nestlings and of the turtle mothers and fathers contributing to future turtle offspring, which rely on Maltese sandy beaches for their successful start to life. Effective conservation management benefits from merging scientific knowledge with effective measures at potential nesting sites to avoid losses of nestlings caused by human negligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Vella
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
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12
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Chemello G, Trotta E, Notarstefano V, Papetti L, Di Renzo L, Matiddi M, Silvestri C, Carnevali O, Gioacchini G. Microplastics evidence in yolk and liver of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), a pilot study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 337:122589. [PMID: 37734631 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The potential toxicity of microplastics is a growing concern for the scientific community. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is particularly inclined to accidently ingest plastic and microplastic due to its long-life cycle features. The possible transfer of microplastics from the female to the eggs should be investigated. The present study investigated the presence of microplastics in yolk and liver samples evaluating the number of melanomacrophages in the hepatic tissue as a possible biomarker of microplastics impact on the embryonic health status. The biometric parameters and liver histological analysis of 27 and 48 embryos (from two different nests respectively) at the 30 stage of development were analyzed. Raman Microspectroscopy was performed to identify the microplastics after alkaline digestion (10% KOH) of yolk and portion of liver from 5 embryos at the 30 developmental stage per nest. Microplastics were found in yolk and liver of loggerhead sea turtles at late embryonic stage for the first time. All microplastics were smaller than 5 μm and were made of polymers and colors suggesting their diverse origins. A total number of 21 microplastics, with dimensions lower than 5 μm, were found between the two nests (11 and 10 microplastics respectively). Only two shape categories were identified: spheres and fragments. The most frequent polymers observed were polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (31.5%, 21.1% and 15.8% respectively). Despite the eggs showing a higher number of microplastics in yolk samples than liver (15 and 6 microplastics in yolk and liver respectively), a positive correlation was observed only between the number of melanomacrophages (r = 0.863 p < 0.001) and microplastics in the liver. This result may suggest that microplastics could exert some effects on the hepatic tissues. Future studies should investigate this aspect and the possible relation between microplastics and other stress biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Chemello
- Department of Environmental and Life Science (DISVA), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Erica Trotta
- Department of Environmental and Life Science (DISVA), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Valentina Notarstefano
- Department of Environmental and Life Science (DISVA), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Luana Papetti
- CRTM, TartAmare Onlus, 85100, Marina di Grosseto, Italy.
| | - Ludovica Di Renzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Dell'Abruzzo e Del Molise "G. Caporale", 64100, Teramo, Italy; Centro Studi Cetacei, 65125, Pescara, Italy.
| | - Marco Matiddi
- Centro Nazionale per La Rete Nazionale Dei Laboratori CN-LAB, Istituto Superiore per La Ricerca e La Protezione Ambientale (ISPRA), 00144, Roma, Italy.
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- Centro Nazionale per La Rete Nazionale Dei Laboratori CN-LAB, Istituto Superiore per La Ricerca e La Protezione Ambientale (ISPRA), 00144, Roma, Italy.
| | - Oliana Carnevali
- Department of Environmental and Life Science (DISVA), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Giorgia Gioacchini
- Department of Environmental and Life Science (DISVA), Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
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13
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Capri FC, Prazzi E, Casamento G, Gambino D, Cassata G, Alduina R. Correlation Between Microbial Community and Hatching Failure in Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:1923-1933. [PMID: 36805785 PMCID: PMC10497424 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02197-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities provide essential information about host ecology and could be helpful as a tool to improve species conservation efforts. However, microbes can also infect and compromise the host development process and viability. Caretta caretta is the most widespread marine turtle species in the Mediterranean basin and is the only species of sea turtle nesting along the Italian coasts. Little is known about the microbiota composition of the nest of sea turtles and its correlation with hatching failures. In this study, the microbial composition of two nests of C. caretta featuring different rates of hatching success from a nesting beach in Lampedusa (Italy) was analyzed and compared. The bacterial community was determined using culture-dependent methods and next-generation sequencing based on 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding analysis. Our results showed five dominant bacterial phyla (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Firmicutes) and indicated different bacterial families (Pseudomonadaceae and Brucellaceae) as likely causes of hatching failures. Besides, our findings demonstrated the nests' active role in modulating the sand's bacterial communities. This study suggests microbiological analysis could be a valuable tool in monitoring nests to take preventive actions and reduce hatching failures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Claire Capri
- Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Viale delle Scienze, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Elena Prazzi
- Legambiente Sicilia-Ente Gestore Riserva Naturale Orientata Isola di Lampedusa, Via Vittorio Emanuele, 25, 92031 Lampedusa, AG Italy
| | - Giulia Casamento
- Legambiente Sicilia-Ente Gestore Riserve Naturali, via Paolo Gili,4, 90138 Palermo, PA Italy
| | - Delia Gambino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via G. Marinuzzi, 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cassata
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Via G. Marinuzzi, 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosa Alduina
- Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Viale delle Scienze, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
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14
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Hernandez-Milian G, Tsangaris C, Anestis A, Fossi MC, Baini M, Caliani I, Panti C, Bundone L, Panou A. Monk seal faeces as a non-invasive technique to monitor the incidence of ingested microplastics and potential presence of plastic additives. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 193:115227. [PMID: 37393681 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic debris, including plastics, has recently been identified as a major threat for marine mammals and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive aims to achieve the good environmental status of European waters by addressing among other criteria, the effects of marine litter on biota. This study implemented for the first time a non-invasive technique for collecting monk seal samples to assess microdebris ingestion in combination with identifying plastic additives and porphyrins biomarkers. A total of 12 samples of monk seal faeces were collected from marine caves in Zakynthos Island, Greece. A total of 166 microplastic particles were identified; 75 % of the particles were smaller than 3 mm. Nine phthalates and three porphyrins were detected. A strong correlation was found between the number of microplastics and the concentration of phthalates. The values of both phthalates and porphyrins were found lower than in other marine mammal tissues, suggesting that seals might not be impacted by them yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Hernandez-Milian
- Centre Oceanographic Vigo, COV-CSIC, Subida radio Faro 50-52, 36390 Vigo, Spain; Archipelagos - ambiente e sviluppo, Italia, Calle Asiago 4, Sant' Elena, Venice 30132, Italy.
| | - Catherine Tsangaris
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), 46,7 km Athinon - Souniou Ave, PO Box 712, Anavyssos 19013, Greece
| | - Anastasios Anestis
- Archipelagos - Environment and Development, Lourdata 28100, Kefalonia, Greece
| | - Maria Cristina Fossi
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Matteo Baini
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Ilaria Caliani
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Cristina Panti
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Luigi Bundone
- Archipelagos - ambiente e sviluppo, Italia, Calle Asiago 4, Sant' Elena, Venice 30132, Italy; Archipelagos - Environment and Development, Lourdata 28100, Kefalonia, Greece
| | - Aliki Panou
- Archipelagos - Environment and Development, Lourdata 28100, Kefalonia, Greece
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15
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Omedes S, Crespo-Picazo JL, García-Párraga D, Sole M. B-esterase measurements and other blood related biomarkers in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) as indicators of health status. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163040. [PMID: 36965720 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) has been selected as sentinel species by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) descriptor 10 in relation to marine litter. In this, and other protected species, there is a need to develop conservative pollution biomarkers equally informative of chemical exposures to those traditionally carried out in metabolic organs, such as the liver. With this aim, plasma from turtles undergoing rehabilitation at the Fundació Oceanogràfic rescue centre (Arca del Mar) were selected and tested for B-esterase measurements. Hydrolysis rates of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and carboxylesterases (CEs) using four commercial substrates were undertaken on 191 plasma samples. Results indicated that acetylthiocholine was the most adequate substrate of cholinesterases and butyrate esters for CE measures. The correlation of these parameters with well-established blood biochemistry measurements was analysed. B-esterase measures in wild specimens were discussed in relation to age group, pathology on admission to the rescue centre and season; moreover, contrasts with long-term resident turtles were also made. Although this study provides baseline data on B-esterase measures in a large sample size for this species, more complementary information is still needed in terms of population genetics, chemical exposures, and in relation to other biochemical parameters before they can be confidently applied in wild specimens within the regulatory MSFD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Omedes
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Psg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J L Crespo-Picazo
- Fundació Oceanogràfic de la Comunidad Valenciana, Gran Vía Marqués del Turia 19, 46005 València, Spain
| | - D García-Párraga
- Fundació Oceanogràfic de la Comunidad Valenciana, Gran Vía Marqués del Turia 19, 46005 València, Spain
| | - M Sole
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Psg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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Meyer G, Puig-Lozano R, Fernández A. Anthropogenic litter in terrestrial flora and fauna: Is the situation as bad as in the ocean? A field study in Southern Germany on five meadows and 150 ruminants in comparison with marine debris. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 323:121304. [PMID: 36804141 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to the abundance of research on marine debris, terrestrial anthropogenic litter and its impacts are largely lacking scientific attention. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to find out whether ingested litter produces pathological consequences to the health of domestic ruminants, as it does in their relatives in the ocean, the cetaceans. For this purpose, five meadows (49°18'N, 10°24'E) with a total survey area of 139,050 m2 as well as the gastric content of 100 slaughtered cattle and 50 slaughtered sheep have been examined for persistent man-made debris in Northern Bavaria, Germany. All the five meadows contained garbage, and plastics were always part of it. Including glass and metal, 521 persistent anthropogenic objects were detected altogether, equalling a litter density of 3747 items per km2. Of the examined animals, 30.0% of the cattle and 6.0% of the sheep harboured anthropogenic foreign bodies in their gastric tract. As in the case of cetaceans, plastics were the most dominant litter material. Bezoars had formed around plastic fibres of agricultural origin in two young bulls, whereas pointed metal objects were associated in cattle with traumatic lesions in the reticulum and the tongue. Of all the ingested anthropogenic debris, 24 items (26.4%) had direct equivalents in the studied meadows. Comparing with marine litter, 28 items (30.8%) were also present in marine environments and 27 items (29.7%) were previously reported as foreign bodies in marine animals. At least in this study region, waste pollution affected terrestrial environments and domestic animals, with clear equivalents in the marine world. Ingested foreign bodies produced lesions that may have reduced the animals' welfare and, regarding commercial purposes, their productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Meyer
- Veterinarian, Department of Public Security, City Administration of Ansbach, Germany.
| | - Raquel Puig-Lozano
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernández
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, University Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
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Galimany E, Navarro J, Martino I, Aymí R, Cermeño P, Montalvo T. Gulls as potential sentinels for urban litter: combining nest and GPS-tracking information. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:521. [PMID: 36988754 PMCID: PMC10060334 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11133-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The production of urban waste has increased in the past decades leading to its mishandling. The effects on public health, economy, and wildlife that waste mismanagement can have are forcing governments to increase their efforts in detecting and mitigating the presence of waste. Identifying and monitoring sentinel species to assess the presence of urban litter could be a cost-effective option. Thus, analyzing the nest composition of yellow-legged gulls from an urban population inhabiting a very high populated city (Barcelona, Spain), and combining this information with accurate GPS tracking data, provides a potential tool to monitor the presence of marine and terrestrial litter over time. The results revealed the highest presence of debris in the nests of a seabird ever recorded. All the nests examined contained anthropogenic waste, with plastic items present in all of them. Crossing the nest composition with GPS tracking movements confirmed that the waste to build the nests was collected in the urban area and not in other environments surrounding the city. Then, the nest waste composition may be a good indicator of waste mismanagement and advise the municipalities to improve waste management and recycling strategies for the different types of litter. Using gulls breeding in cities as sentinel species and, in particular, the study of their nest composition, may provide essential data to decision-making stakeholders to adopt a One Health approach and help improve not only the environment's health but also the health of those who live in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Galimany
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joan Navarro
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ilaria Martino
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Aymí
- Institut Català d'Ornitologia, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, a, 08019, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Cermeño
- Research and Conservation Department, Barcelona Zoo Foundation, Parc de La Ciutadella, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tomas Montalvo
- Servei de Vigilància I Control de Plagues Urbanes, Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain
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18
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Dos Anjos Guimarães G, de Moraes BR, Ando RA, Sant'Anna BS, Perotti GF, Hattori GY. Microplastic contamination in the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum in Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:434. [PMID: 36856928 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11019-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The present study analyzed the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the shrimp Macrobrachium amazonicum, which is an economically important food that is consumed in several regions of the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 600 specimens of M. amazonicum were captured at two sampling sites (urban and rural area). A total of 2597 MP particles were recorded in the shrimps, with a significant difference between the two sites. The presence of MPs in the body parts also differed significantly. No significant difference was found between MPs abundance and sex of the shrimps. The size of the MPs did not differ significantly between the collection sites and between the body parts. Dark blue fiber-type MPs were the most abundant. A positive correlation was observed between the abundance of MPs and the total weight of shrimps. Raman spectroscopy identified the dark blue fibers as polypropylene and the FTIR technique identified the light blue fragments as nylon. The results indicate that the presence of MPs in the M. amazonicum shrimp is associated with the capture sites near the urban area and is present in the diet of the Amazonian population that regularly consumes this crustacean in traditional dishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Dos Anjos Guimarães
- Institute of Exact Sciences and Technology, Federal University of Amazonas, Rua Nossa Senhora do Rosário, 3863, Tiradentes, Itacoatiara, Amazonas, 69103-128, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Rocha de Moraes
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 748 - B4T, São Paulo, Butantã, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Rômulo Augusto Ando
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 748 - B4T, São Paulo, Butantã, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Bruno Sampaio Sant'Anna
- Institute of Exact Sciences and Technology, Federal University of Amazonas, Rua Nossa Senhora do Rosário, 3863, Tiradentes, Itacoatiara, Amazonas, 69103-128, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Frigi Perotti
- Institute of Exact Sciences and Technology, Federal University of Amazonas, Rua Nossa Senhora do Rosário, 3863, Tiradentes, Itacoatiara, Amazonas, 69103-128, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Yomar Hattori
- Institute of Exact Sciences and Technology, Federal University of Amazonas, Rua Nossa Senhora do Rosário, 3863, Tiradentes, Itacoatiara, Amazonas, 69103-128, Brazil.
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Mariani G, Bellucci F, Cocumelli C, Raso C, Hochscheid S, Roncari C, Nerone E, Recchi S, Di Giacinto F, Olivieri V, Pulsoni S, Matiddi M, Silvestri C, Ferri N, Renzo LD. Dietary Preferences of Loggerhead Sea Turtles ( Caretta caretta) in Two Mediterranean Feeding Grounds: Does Prey Selection Change with Habitat Use throughout Their Life Cycle? Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040654. [PMID: 36830441 PMCID: PMC9951698 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
According to their life stage, the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is found in a wide range of habitats, from neritic to more oceanic areas. Their feeding habits are expected to change as they develop, along with habitat use. Juvenile sea turtles are hypothesized to feed on pelagic species in oceanic areas, shifting to more benthic prey during the subadult and adult stages. We analyzed the gastrointestinal content from 150 loggerhead sea turtles stranded and/or bycaught along the Adriatic coast of the Abruzzo and Molise regions (n = 89) and the Tyrrhenian coast of the Lazio and Campania regions (n = 61) from 2018 to 2021. Food items were identified to the lowest taxonomic level, and the frequency of occurrence was calculated for each taxon and most recurrent species to assess changes in prey selection during the development. The marine litter was categorized, and the frequency of occurrence was calculated for the ingestion of litter. The most recurrent taxonomic prey group recorded in the Adriatic sample was Arthropoda (94%), followed by Mollusca (63%) and Chordata (34%). In the Tyrrhenian sample, loggerhead sea turtles fed mostly on Mollusca (84%), Arthropoda (38%), and Chordata (26%). Surprisingly, the Adriatic-Tyrrhenian sample groups showed similar feeding behavior between juveniles, subadults, and adults. A similar correlation has been observed concerning the ingestion of litter. Moreover, this study confirms the opportunistic feeding behavior of loggerhead sea turtles and their high adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Mariani
- Faculty of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Fabio Bellucci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
- Ministry of Health, Directorate General for Animal Health and Veterinary Medicinal Products, Via G. Ribotta 5, 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Cristiano Cocumelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, 00178 Roma, Italy
| | - Caterina Raso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, 00178 Roma, Italy
| | - Sandra Hochscheid
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Chiara Roncari
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Department of Marine Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Eliana Nerone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Sara Recchi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Federica Di Giacinto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Simone Pulsoni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Marco Matiddi
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), 00144 Roma, Italy
| | - Nicola Ferri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Ludovica Di Renzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
- Centro Studi Cetacei Onlus (CSC), 65125 Pescara, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0861-3321
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20
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Darmon G, Schulz M, Matiddi M, Loza AL, Tòmàs J, Camedda A, Chaieb O, El Hili HA, Bradai MN, Bray L, Claro F, Dellinger T, Dell'Amico F, de Lucia GA, Duncan EM, Gambaiani D, Godley B, Kaberi H, Kaska Y, Martin J, Moreira C, Ostiategui P, Pham CK, Piermarini R, Revuelta O, Rodríguez Y, Silvestri C, Snape R, Sozbilen D, Tsangaris C, Vale M, Vandeperre F, Miaud C. Drivers of litter ingestion by sea turtles: Three decades of empirical data collected in Atlantic Europe and the Mediterranean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 185:114364. [PMID: 36435019 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sea turtles are considered as bio-indicators for monitoring the efficiency of restoration measures to reduce marine litter impacts on health. However, the lack of extended and standardised empirical data has prevented the accurate analysis of the factors influencing litter ingestion and the relationships with individual health. Historic data collected from 1988 and standard data collected from 2016 were harmonised to enable such analyses on necropsied loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in eight Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic countries. Litter was found in 69.24 % of the 1121 individuals, mostly single-use and fishing-related plastics. Spatial location, sex and life history stage explained a minor part of litter ingestion. While no relationships with health could be detected, indicating that all individuals can be integrated as bio-indicators, the mechanistic models published in literature suggest that the high proportion of plastics in the digestive contents (38.77 % per individual) could have long-term repercussions on population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Darmon
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Biogéographie et Écologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France.
| | - Marcus Schulz
- AquaEcology GmbH & Co. KG, AquaEcology, Steinkamp 19, 26125 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Marco Matiddi
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Nekton Lab, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Ana Liria Loza
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, EcoAqua University Institute, Telde, Las Palmas 35214, Spain
| | - Jesús Tòmàs
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, UVEG, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrea Camedda
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAS-CNR) - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in marine environment/National Research Council, Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - Olfa Chaieb
- Tunisian National Institute for the Sciences and Technologies of the Sea, 28 rue du 2 mars 1934, 2025 Salammbô, Tunisia
| | - Hedia A El Hili
- Centre National de Veille Zoosanitaire (National Center for wildlife health monitoring), Tunisia
| | - Mohamed N Bradai
- Tunisian National Institute for the Sciences and Technologies of the Sea, 28 rue du 2 mars 1934, 2025 Salammbô, Tunisia
| | - Laura Bray
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave., Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | - Françoise Claro
- National museum of natural history, UMS OFB-MNHN-CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Dellinger
- University of Madeira - Estação de Biologia Marinha do Funchal, Cais de Carvão - Promenade da Orla Marítima P-9000-107 Funchal / Madeira, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Florence Dell'Amico
- Centre d'études et de soins pour les tortues marines (CESTM) - Aquarium La Rochelle, Quai Louis Prunier, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Giuseppe A de Lucia
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAS-CNR) - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in marine environment/National Research Council, Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - Emily M Duncan
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK; Ocean Science Institute - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, 9900-138 Horta, Portugal
| | - Delphine Gambaiani
- CESTMED Center for the Study and Conservation of Mediterranean Sea Turtles, Av. du Palais de la Mer, 30240 Le Grau-du-Roi, France
| | - Brendan Godley
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Helen Kaberi
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave., Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | - Yakup Kaska
- Pamukkale University, Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Jessica Martin
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Biogéographie et Écologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France
| | - Cláudia Moreira
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patricia Ostiategui
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, EcoAqua University Institute, Telde, Las Palmas 35214, Spain
| | - Christopher K Pham
- Ocean Science Institute - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, 9900-138 Horta, Portugal
| | - Raffaella Piermarini
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Nekton Lab, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Ohiana Revuelta
- Marine Zoology Unit, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, UVEG, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yasmina Rodríguez
- Ocean Science Institute - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, 9900-138 Horta, Portugal
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Nekton Lab, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144 Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Robin Snape
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Dogăn Sozbilen
- Pamukkale University, Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Denizli, Turkey
| | - Catherine Tsangaris
- Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), 46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Ave., Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | - Maria Vale
- Regional Fund for Science and Technology (FRCT), Azores Regional Government, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
| | - Frederic Vandeperre
- Ocean Science Institute - OKEANOS, Universidade dos Açores, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, 9900-138 Horta, Portugal
| | - Claude Miaud
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Biogéographie et Écologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France
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Valente T, Pelamatti T, Avio CG, Camedda A, Costantini ML, de Lucia GA, Jacomini C, Piermarini R, Regoli F, Sbrana A, Ventura D, Silvestri C, Matiddi M. One is not enough: Monitoring microplastic ingestion by fish needs a multispecies approach. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 184:114133. [PMID: 36150223 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The development of monitoring programs based on bioindicators is crucial for assessing the impact of microplastic ingestion on marine organisms. This study presents results from an Italian pilot action aimed at investigating the suitability of a monitoring strategy based on a multispecies approach. The benthic-feeder Mullus barbatus, the demersal species Merluccius merluccius, and the pelagic-feeder species of the genus Scomber were used to assess the environmental contamination by microplastics in three different marine areas, namely Ancona (Adriatic Sea), Anzio (Tyrrhenian Sea), and Oristano (Western Sardinia). Microplastic ingestion frequencies were higher in samples from Anzio (26.7 %) and Ancona (25.0 %) than Oristano (14.4 %), suggesting a relationship between microplastic bioavailability and the proximity to urban settlements and river flows. Furthermore, microplastic ingestion was affected by the feeding habits of the examined species. The detected differences reinforce the hypothesis that a multispecies approach is needed to evaluate microplastic ingestion by marine animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Valente
- 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, RM, Italy; ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy.
| | - Tania Pelamatti
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Carlo Giacomo Avio
- Marche Polytechnic University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DiSVA), Via Brecce Bianche snc, 60131 Ancona, AN, Italy
| | - Andrea Camedda
- IAS-CNR, Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Costantini
- 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- IAS-CNR, Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Carlo Jacomini
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Raffaella Piermarini
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Francesco Regoli
- Marche Polytechnic University, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DiSVA), Via Brecce Bianche snc, 60131 Ancona, AN, Italy
| | - Alice Sbrana
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy; PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via della Ricerca Scientifica snc, 00133 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Daniele Ventura
- 'La Sapienza' University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Marco Matiddi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, RM, Italy
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22
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Sole M, Bassols A, Labrada-Martagón V. Plasmatic B-esterases as potential biomarkers of exposure to marine plastics in loggerhead turtles. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 213:113639. [PMID: 35688215 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to plastic exposures, and the associated chemical additives, due to their feeding strategies. The species Caretta caretta is a proposed sentinel of plastic pollution worldwide. Thus, there is a need to find adequate biomarkers of plastic exposure through non-invasive protocols for this IUCN protected species. Plasmatic acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and carboxylesterase (CE) which participate in xenobiotic and endogenous metabolic reactions could all serve as biomarkers, as they are responsive to plasticizers and have already proved adequate for identifying organophosphorus esters exposures. Here we measured plasmatic B-esterases in wild specimens captured as accidental by-catch. Measurements were taken in each individual either at entry into the rehabilitation program or immediately before release after a recovery period. For CE measurements, 4 commercial substrates were used as potentially indicative of distinct enzyme isoforms. Increased activity was seen with the butyrate-derived substrates. Plasmatic CE activities were over one order of magnitude higher than AChE and BuChE substrates. Moreover, an in vitro protocol with the inclusion of plastic additives such as tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), bisphenol A and some of its analogues was considered a proxy of enzymatic interactions. A clear inhibition by TBBPA was found when using commercially purified AChE and recombinant CE proteins. Overall, from in vitro and in vivo evidences, CEs in plasma are sensitive and easily measurable and have been shown to significantly increase after turtles have been rehabilitated in rescue centres. Nevertheless, the inclusion of plastic (or plasticizers) characterisation would help to confirm its association with plasmatic enzyme modifications before they can be adopted as biomarkers of plastic contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sole
- Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Psg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - A Bassols
- Fundació per a la Conservació i Recuperació d'Animals Marins-CRAM, Psg. de la Platja 28-30, 08820, El Prat de Llobregat, Spain
| | - V Labrada-Martagón
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, UASLP, Av. Chapultepec #1570, Col. Privadas del Pedregal, CP 78295, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., Mexico
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Savoca MS, Kühn S, Sun C, Avery-Gomm S, Choy CA, Dudas S, Hong SH, Hyrenbach KD, Li TH, Ng CKY, Provencher JF, Lynch JM. Towards a North Pacific Ocean long-term monitoring program for plastic pollution: A review and recommendations for plastic ingestion bioindicators. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 310:119861. [PMID: 35940480 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Marine debris is now a ubiquitous component of the Anthropocene global ocean. Plastic ingestion by marine wildlife was first reported in the 1960s and since that time, roughly one thousand marine species have been reported to consume this debris. This study focuses on plastic ingestion by marine invertebrates and vertebrates in the North Pacific Ocean. Specifically, we reviewed the scientific literature to assess the scope of the problem, identified key bioindicator species, and proposed guidelines for future monitoring of plastic debris in North Pacific marine ecosystems. Our meta-analysis confirmed that the North Pacific is among the most polluted ocean regions globally; roughly half of all fish and seabird specimens and more than three-quarters of sea turtles and bivalve specimens examined in this region had consumed plastic. While there are not enough standardized data to assess if these ingestion rates are changing, sampling standardization and reporting of methods are improving over time. Using a rubric-evaluation approach, we evaluated 352 species for their potential to serve as bioindicators of the prevalence of plastic pollution in the North Pacific. This analysis revealed a suite of 12 bioindicator species candidates which sample a variety of ecosystem components and cover a wide range of plastic size classes. Thus, we contend that these bioindicator candidates provide a key foundation for developing a comprehensive plastic monitoring program in the region. To enhance the utility of these bioindicators, we developed a framework for standardized data collection to minimize methodological variability across different studies and to facilitate the assessment of temporal trends over space and time. Tracking plastic ingestion by these bioindicators will help to assess the effectiveness of mitigation actions in the region, a critical step to evaluate progress towards sustainability and improved ocean health in the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Savoca
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, USA.
| | - Susanne Kühn
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - ChengJun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-environmental Science and Technology, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Qingdao, 266061, China
| | - Stephanie Avery-Gomm
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - C Anela Choy
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Dudas
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada; University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Sang Hee Hong
- Risk Assessment Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea
| | - K David Hyrenbach
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Center for Marine Debris Research, Waimānalo, HI, USA
| | - Tsung-Hsien Li
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Checheng, Pingtung, 94450, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Institute of Marine Ecology and Conservation, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Connie Ka-Yan Ng
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jennifer F Provencher
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Lynch
- Hawai'i Pacific University, Center for Marine Debris Research, Waimānalo, HI, USA; National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Waimānalo, HI, USA
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Occurrence of Natural and Synthetic Micro-Fibers in the Mediterranean Sea: A Review. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10070391. [PMID: 35878296 PMCID: PMC9320265 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Among microplastics (MPs), fibers are one of the most abundant shapes encountered in the aquatic environment. Growing attention is being focused on this typology of particles since they are considered an important form of marine contamination. Information about microfibers distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is still limited and the increasing evidence of the high amount of fibers in the aquatic environment should lead to a different classification from MPs which, by definition, are composed only of synthetic materials and not natural. In the past, cellulosic fibers (natural and regenerated) have been likely included in the synthetic realm by hundreds of studies, inflating “micro-plastic” counts in both environmental matrices and organisms. Comparisons are often hampered because many of the available studies have explicitly excluded the micro-fibers (MFs) content due, for example, to methodological problems. Considering the abundance of micro-fibers in the environment, a chemical composition analysis is fundamental for toxicological assessments. Overall, the results of this review work provide the basis to monitor and mitigate the impacts of microfiber pollution on the sea ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea, which can be used to investigate other basins of the world for future risk assessment.
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Bruno C, Blasi MF, Mattei D, Martellone L, Brancaleone E, Savoca S, Favero G. Polymer composition analysis of plastic debris ingested by loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in Southern Tyrrhenian Sea through ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 179:105676. [PMID: 35803050 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The ingestion of anthropogenic plastic debris by marine wildlife is widespread in the Mediterranean Sea. The endangered status (in the IUCN Red List) of Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus, 1758) is a consequence of its vulnerability. In this study, macro-/meso-plastics (5-170 mm) collected from faeces of twelve loggerhead turtles rescued (live) in the Aeolian Archipelago (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) were analyzed by size, weight, shape, color and polymer type through Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The defecation rate during hospitalization (7-14 days) varied among turtles (from 0.08 to 0.58). The mean number of plastic expulsions (2.7 ± 1.8 items for turtle) was higher during the 5th day of hospitalization (Kruskal-Wallis test, P = 0.01). However, the mean number of plastic-like items defecated during the common days of hospitalization did not vary among turtles (Kruskal-Wallis test, P > 0.05). All turtles were found to have ingested plastic. A total of 114 debris items were recovered from their faeces, 113 of which were identified as plastic. Their color was mostly white-transparent (64.9%) and light (19.3%). Shape was mainly fragments (52.6%), sheets (38.6%), followed by nylon, net-fragments, elastic plastic, foamed plastic and industrial granules (8.8%). Meso-plastics (5-25 mm) represented 72% of the total number of debris and were found more frequently in turtle with Curved Carapace Length (CCL) ≤ 60 cm (CCL = 30-60 cm, n = 5) than those with CCL >60 cm (CCL = 60-71 cm, n = 7). Plastic items were composed mainly of polyethylene (48.2%) and polypropylene (34.2%). Polypropylene (R2 = 0.95, P < 0.001) and polyisoprene (R2 = 0.45, P = 0.017) were more common in meso-plastics while polyethylene (R2 = 0.44, P < 0.01) in macro-plastics. Finally, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide and polyurethane were also found in some turtles. This study reveals high spreads of plastic contamination in faeces of both turtles with CCL ≤60 cm and CCL >60 cm, particularly vulnerable to the increasing quantity of floating plastic into their foraging sites highlighting the need of further research to associate debris ingestion with turtle diet and their size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bruno
- Filicudi Wildlife Conservation, Località Stimpagnato Filicudi, 98050, Lipari, ME, Italy
| | - Monica Francesca Blasi
- Filicudi Wildlife Conservation, Località Stimpagnato Filicudi, 98050, Lipari, ME, Italy; Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, RM, Italy; Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, RM, Italy.
| | - Daniela Mattei
- Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Martellone
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, RM, Italy; Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Eleonora Brancaleone
- Dipartimento Ambiente e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, RM, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Serena Savoca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriele Favero
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Roma, RM, Italy
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Solomando A, Pujol F, Sureda A, Pinya S. Ingestion and characterization of plastic debris by loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, in the Balearic Islands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 826:154159. [PMID: 35231507 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plastic waste has become ubiquitous pollutants in seas and oceans and can affect a wide range of species. For some marine species, plastic debris could pose a considerable threat through entanglement, ingestion, and habitat degradation and loss. Sea turtles are one of the most sensitive species, as their migratory behaviour and multifaceted life cycles make these reptiles especially vulnerable to the negative effects of plastic debris. The present study aimed to assess the amount and composition of plastic debris ingested by loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus, 1758) in the Balearic Islands Sea, thusly providing new information to complete the knowledge for this topic. In this work, 45 stranded dead C. caretta specimens were necropsied, and their digestive tract content analysed for the presence of plastic debris. Plastic objects were observed in 27 individuals (60.0%), with an average of 12.7 ± 4.7 plastic items per turtle. Litter in the faecal pellet was also monitored in 67 living individuals, observing plastic elements in 46 (68.7%) of the specimens, reporting an average of 9.7 ± 3.3 plastic elements per individual. Overall, 785 plastic items were found, measured, weighed and categorized according to size, colour, shape, and type of polymer. The main elements ingested were plastic sheets that were found in 65.3% of the turtles analysed, being white (42.7%) and transparent (29.2%) the most predominant colours. Most elements were macroplastics (59.3%), while microplastics were not found. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FT-IR) analysis showed that high-density polyethylene and polypropylene were the main polymer plastics, representing 42.3% and 33.8% of the total, respectively. In conclusion, the high occurrence of plastic debris determined in the present study evidenced for the first time plastic ingestion in loggerhead turtles in the Balearic Islands, and highlights C. caretta as a bioindicator organism for marine pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antònia Solomando
- Research Group in Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, University of Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain; Interdisciplinary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
| | - Francisca Pujol
- Palma Aquarium Foundation, Carrer Manuela de los Herreros i Sorà 21, 07610 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Antoni Sureda
- Research Group in Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, University of Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain; CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition), University of the Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
| | - Samuel Pinya
- Interdisciplinary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
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Moon Y, Shim WJ, Han GM, Jeong J, Cho Y, Kim IH, Kim MS, Lee HR, Hong SH. What type of plastic do sea turtles in Korean waters mainly ingest? Quantity, shape, color, size, polymer composition, and original usage. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 298:118849. [PMID: 35032602 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Globally, sea turtles are at high risk of ingesting plastic. However, research on plastic ingestion by sea turtles in East Asia is scant, and no quantitative or qualitative investigation has been conducted in Korean waters. This study examined the plastic ingestion of sea turtles stranded, floating, or incidentally captured in Korean waters between 2012 and 2018. The quantity, shape, color, size, polymer type, and original usage of plastic debris (>1 mm) ingested by sea turtles were analyzed after being sorted from the gastrointestinal tracts of 34 turtles (21 loggerheads (Caretta caretta), 9 green turtles (Chelonia mydas), 2 leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea), and 2 olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea)). The ingestion frequencies of greens, loggerheads, olive ridleys, and leatherbacks were 100%, 81%, 50%, and 50%, respectively. The mean amount of plastic ingested was 108 ± 253 mg/kg (38 ± 61 n/ind.). The ingested debris tended to be films and fibers (>80%), light in color (white and transparent; 65%), and light polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, polypropylene [poly (ethylene:propylene)], expanded polystyrene; 93%). The original uses were identified for 187 pieces; single-use plastics (e.g., plastic bag and packaging) and fishing and aquaculture items (e.g., twine and net) were found to dominate. Green turtles (264 ± 433 mg/kg) ingested significantly higher amounts of plastic than loggerheads (72.8 ± 156 mg/kg). Green turtles ingested mostly fibers (51%), such as rope, twine, and net, while loggerheads ingested largely films (61%), such as plastic bags and packaging. Interspecies differences in quantities and shapes of ingested debris may be related to their distinct feeding habits and geographical range of movement. The present study demonstrates that sea turtles foraging in Korean waters are considerably affected by marine plastic debris, and indicates that proper waste management of single-use plastics and fishing gears is urgently needed to mitigate the damage that plastic debris causes to marine wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelim Moon
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Joon Shim
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Myung Han
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongwook Jeong
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Youna Cho
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Il-Hun Kim
- National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seochun-gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Seop Kim
- National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seochun-gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Rim Lee
- National Institute of Ecology, Seochun-gun, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hee Hong
- Oil and POPs Research Group, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea.
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28
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Camedda A, Matiddi M, Vianello A, Coppa S, Bianchi J, Silvestri C, Palazzo L, Massaro G, Atzori F, Ruiu A, Piermarini R, Cocumelli C, Briguglio P, Hochscheid S, Brundu R, de Lucia GA. Polymer composition assessment suggests prevalence of single-use plastics among items ingested by loggerhead sea turtles in the western mediterranean sub-region. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 292:118274. [PMID: 34606971 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ingestion of plastic is becoming a major concern for various species and particularly for marine turtles across the globe. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was recently chosen by the European Commission as a bio-indicator for plastic pollution within the Mediterranean basin. We further investigated which items this key species is more prone to ingest, following the standardised Marine Strategy Framework Directive protocols. Moreover, we integrated to this protocol the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, which allowed us to determine the polymer type of each item. We analysed samples from 226 sea turtles from 2008 to 2017 in two areas of the western Mediterranean sub-region (sensu MSFD). In the Lazio area we found a frequency of occurrence of plastic ingestion of 78.33%, while in Sardinia 41.79%. The analysis of the litter categories, among all individuals, highlights a prevalence of user-sheet (Use-She; 69.13%) and user-fragment plastics (Use-Fra; 20.84%). In addition, the polymer analysis showed a dominance of polyethylene (65.98%) and polypropylene (26.23%). As a result, by looking at other works that have investigated polymer types and items sources, we are able to infer that 77.25% of the objects ingested by the C. caretta individuals are attributable to disposable daily-life objects managed in an improper way. Therefore, C. caretta apart from being an efficient bio-indicator for plastic pollution, highlighting spatial and temporal concentration differences, it could also be used to verify the effectiveness of the Single-use Plastic Directive (EU 2019/904).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Camedda
- Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - Marco Matiddi
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Roma, Italy
| | - Alvise Vianello
- Aalborg University, Section of Water and Environment, Department of the Built Environment, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark
| | - Stefania Coppa
- Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy.
| | - Jessica Bianchi
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Roma, Italy; Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Roma, Italy
| | - Luca Palazzo
- Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy; Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy
| | - Giorgio Massaro
- Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Atzori
- Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy; Capo Carbonara MPA- Municipality of Villasimius, 09049, Villasimius (SU), Italy
| | - Angelo Ruiu
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Sardegna - Struttura Complessa Diagnostica di Oristano, Via Atene, Z.I., 09170, Oristano, Italy
| | - Raffaella Piermarini
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Roma, Italy
| | - Cristiano Cocumelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Del Lazio e Della Toscana M. Aleandri, via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178, Roma, Italy
| | - Paolo Briguglio
- Clinica Veterinaria "due Mari", Via Cagliari 313, 09170, Oristano, Italy
| | - Sandra Hochscheid
- Marine Turtle Research Center, Dipartment of Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Nuova Macello 16, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Roberto Brundu
- "Penisola Del Sinis e Isola di Mal di Ventre" Marine Protected Area, P.zza Eleonora 1, 09072, Cabras, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- Institute of Anthropic Impact and Sustainability in Marine Environment - National Research Council Oristano Section, Località Sa Mardini 09170 Torregrande, Oristano, Italy
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Choi DY, Gredzens C, Shaver DJ. Plastic ingestion by green turtles (Chelonia mydas) over 33 years along the coast of Texas, USA. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 173:113111. [PMID: 34743072 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite exponential growth of anthropogenic marine debris in recent decades, plastic ingestion by marine turtles in the Gulf of Mexico is not well understood. Gastrointestinal tracts were examined from 464 green turtles that stranded in Texas between 1987 and 2019, and 226 turtles ingested plastic (48.7%). This number doubled from 32.5% in 1987-1999 to 65.5% in 2019, but mass of ingested items was lowest in 2019. No turtles showed evidence of death directly related to plastic ingestion. Compared to other regions, plastic ingestion was low. Small turtles (<25 cm straight carapace length) ingested plastic more frequently and in greater amounts than larger turtles. Small turtles also ingested more hard plastic while larger turtles ingested more sheet-like and thread-like plastics, which may correspond to size-based habitat shifts. This is among the largest marine turtle ingestion studies to date and demonstrates an increasing prevalence of plastic ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Y Choi
- Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, Corpus Christi, TX 78418, United States of America; Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United States of America.
| | - Christian Gredzens
- Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, Corpus Christi, TX 78418, United States of America
| | - Donna J Shaver
- Padre Island National Seashore, National Park Service, Corpus Christi, TX 78418, United States of America
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30
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Int-Veen I, Nogueira P, Isigkeit J, Hanel R, Kammann U. Positively buoyant but sinking: Polymer identification and composition of marine litter at the seafloor of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 172:112876. [PMID: 34450407 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Different litter types accumulate in all marine environments. Plastics are of special interest because of their high abundance and possible threats to marine organisms. Polymer type is crucial for their distribution and fate in marine environments. Seafloor litter abundance and composition in the Baltic and North Sea were analysed based on three sampling campaigns according to the protocol of ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey. Polymers were identified via attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. General litter abundances differed significantly between the Baltic and North Sea with 9.6 items/km2 and 70.7 items/km2, respectively. Plastic built the dominating litter group in both seas (62.2% and 91.3%, respectively). Polymer identification revealed clear dominance of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyamide. Most polymers were positively buoyant in seawater (89.5%), thereby excluding polymer density as the main driver of vertical plastic litter transportation. Plastics at the seafloor basically reflected the entirety of polymers entering marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Int-Veen
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Pedro Nogueira
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Jason Isigkeit
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Reinhold Hanel
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Ulrike Kammann
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany
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Savoca D, Arculeo M, Vecchioni L, Cambera I, Visconti G, Melfi R, Arizza V, Palumbo Piccionello A, Buscemi S, Pace A. Can phthalates move into the eggs of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta? The case of the nests on the Linosa Island in the Mediterranean Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 168:112395. [PMID: 33991990 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
During the monitoring of Caretta caretta nests on the island of Linosa, 30 unhatched eggs from four nests were collected to study the presence of phthalates in their three components (shell, yolk, and albumen). Four phthalates, namely diethyl (DEP), dibutyl (DBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP), and dioctyl (DOTP) phthalic acid esters (PAE), which are widely used as additives in plastics, were detected in all egg components. The most frequently found phthalate was DBP, followed by DEHP in eggshell and yolk. Dimethyl- (DMP) and butylbenzyl-phthalate (BBP) were below the limits of detection for all samples. The high total phthalate recorded in the yolk suggests that contamination could arise by vitellogenesis. PERMANOVA analysis (p = 0.01) confirmed significant differences in the PAEs contamination profiles in the eggs from the four nests. This study confirms the negative impact of plastic related compounds posing questions about the potential adverse effects on organisms and their conservation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Savoca
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Arculeo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Luca Vecchioni
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Irene Cambera
- Marine Protected Area 'Isole Pelagie', Via Cameroni, Lampedusa AG 92031, Italy
| | - Giulia Visconti
- Marine Protected Area 'Isole Pelagie', Via Cameroni, Lampedusa AG 92031, Italy
| | - Raffaella Melfi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arizza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Palumbo Piccionello
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Silvestre Buscemi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrea Pace
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy.
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Canzanella S, Danese A, Mandato M, Lucifora G, Riverso C, Federico G, Gallo P, Esposito M. Concentrations of trace elements in tissues of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian coastlines (Calabria, Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:26545-26557. [PMID: 33484457 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12499-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Toxic trace elements from both, natural and anthropogenic origin, pose a threat to aquatic environments and marine wildlife due to their long-range transport, bioaccumulative nature, and biomagnification through the food chain. Being long-lived and migratory animals, sea turtles can be exposed to elevated levels of toxic elements, and are therefore considered sentinel species for chemical pollution. In this study, concentrations of trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) were determined in tissues of 46 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts of Calabria, in Southern Italy, between 2014 and 2020. Curved carapace length (CCL), curved carapace width (CCW), body mass (BM), and sex were determined and the correlations of these parameters with toxic elements concentrations were investigated. During necropsy, kidney, liver, and muscle tissues were collected and the concentration and distribution of metals determined. Muscle tissues showed the lowest toxic element burdens, except for As that showed the highest mean concentrations in this tissue. The kidney was the main accumulation organ for Cd, while similar levels of Hg and Pb were measured in kidney, liver, and muscle tissues. The risk assessment performed for Cd, Hg, and Pb in sea turtles' liver highlighted possible negative effects on sea turtles' health and the need for marine turtle toxicology researches. This is the first study reporting levels and distribution of toxic elements in tissues of Caretta caretta turtles from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts of Calabria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Canzanella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy.
| | - Amalia Danese
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Maria Mandato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Caterina Riverso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Giovanni Federico
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Pasquale Gallo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
| | - Mauro Esposito
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute, 2, Portici, Italy
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Adamovsky O, Bisesi JH, Martyniuk CJ. Plastics in our water: Fish microbiomes at risk? COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2021; 39:100834. [PMID: 33930774 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Water contaminated with plastic debris and leached plasticizers can be ingested or taken up by aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates alike, exerting adverse effects on multiple tissues including the gastrointestinal tract. As such, gut microbiomes of aquatic animals are susceptible targets for toxicity. Recent studies conducted in teleost fishes report that microplastics and plasticizers (e.g., phthalates, bisphenol A) induce gastrointestinal dysbiosis and alter microbial diversity in the gastrointestinal system. Here we synthesize the current state of the science regarding plastics, plasticizers, and their effects on microbiomes of fish. Literature suggests that microplastics and plasticizers increase the abundance of opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms (e.g. Actinobacillus, Mycoplasma and Stenotrophomonas) in fish and reveal that gamma-proteobacteria are sensitive to microplastics. Recommendations moving forward for the research field include (1) environmentally relevant exposures to improve understanding of the long-term impacts of microplastic and plasticizer contamination on the fish gastrointestinal microbiome; (2) investigation into the potential impacts of understudied polymers such as polypropylene, polyamide and polyester, and (3) studies with elastomers such as rubbers that are components of tire materials, as these chemicals often dominate plastic debris. Focus on both microplastics and the gut microbiota is intensifying in environmental toxicology, and herein lies an opportunity to improve evaluation of global ecological impacts associated with plastic contamination. This is important as the microbiota is intimately tied to an individual's health and fragmentation of microbial community networks and gut dysbiosis can result in disease susceptibility and early mortality events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Adamovsky
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Joseph H Bisesi
- Department of Environmental and Global Health and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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Palazzo L, Coppa S, Camedda A, Cocca M, De Falco F, Vianello A, Massaro G, de Lucia GA. A novel approach based on multiple fish species and water column compartments in assessing vertical microlitter distribution and composition. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 272:116419. [PMID: 33453493 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of the distribution and composition of microlitter in the sea is a great challenge. Biological indicators can be an irreplaceable tool since they measure microlitter levels in their environments in a way that is virtually impossible to replicate by direct physical measurements. Furthermore, trends can provide policymakers with statistically robust analysis. We looked into the capacity of multiple fish species to describe the distribution and composition of microlitter vertically across different compartments of the water column. A total of 502 individuals from six selected species (Scomber scombrus, Oblada melanura, Spicara smaris, Boops boops, Merluccius merluccius and Mullus barbatus) were collected on the western side of Sardinia island and allocated to three compartments: surface, mid-water and bottom. The species of the surface exhibited a higher frequency of occurrence (41.89%) of microlitter ingestion, compared to those of the mid-water and bottom (19.60%; 22.58%). A significant difference in the average number of ingested microlitter was found between the surface and the bottom compartment. All the microlitter fragments found were analysed through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The comparison of the expected buoyancies of the polymers identified puth faith in the allocation of the species to the respective compartments. Therefore, considering the Marine Strategy Framework Directive objective, this approach could be useful in assessing microlitter distribution and composition vertically across the water column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Palazzo
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy; Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy.
| | - Stefania Coppa
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Andrea Camedda
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Mariacristina Cocca
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, Via Campi Flegrei, 34 - 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Francesca De Falco
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council of Italy, Via Campi Flegrei, 34 - 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Alvise Vianello
- Aalborg University, Department of the Built Environment, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Giorgio Massaro
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- CNR-IAS, National Research Council - Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy
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Sbrana A, Valente T, Scacco U, Bianchi J, Silvestri C, Palazzo L, de Lucia GA, Valerani C, Ardizzone G, Matiddi M. Spatial variability and influence of biological parameters on microplastic ingestion by Boops boops (L.) along the Italian coasts (Western Mediterranean Sea). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114429. [PMID: 32222624 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Recently, many studies focus on the ingestion of microplastics by marine biota. Fish exploit almost every kind of marine environment, occupy many ecological niches and are an important food source for human populations worldwide. For these reasons, they seem to represent very appropriate biological indicators of microplastic ingestion. UNEP/MAP SPA/RAC (2018) identified the bogue, Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758), as a possible target species for monitoring microplastic ingestion in fish populations. This study provides the first report of microplastic ingestion by B. boops from the Tyrrhenian and the Ligurian Seas (Western Mediterranean Sea). Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to analyse the relationship among biological parameters and environmental factors. A total of 379 bogues were collected in three Italian regions, subject to different anthropogenic pressures (river input, human population, shipping lanes and distance from the coast). Microplastics were detected in the gastrointestinal tract of most individuals (56%) with a mean of 1.8 (±0.2) microplastics per individual. Our study further confirms that this species is able to highlight differences in the ingestion of microplastics according to local anthropization, resulting Latium region to be the most polluted. Fish with lower physical condition are more likely to ingest microplastics, suggesting a relationship with the level of local environmental contamination. Finally, the ingestion of microplastics might be influenced by behavioural differences between sexes. According to our results, males ingest significantly more microplastics than females (p < 0.05). Our research confirms that an extensive knowledge on the biology of a bioindicator species is a priority for developing a valid monitoring strategy, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive for European waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Sbrana
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Tommaso Valente
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Umberto Scacco
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Jessica Bianchi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy; Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Luca Palazzo
- Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- IAS-CNR, Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment- National Research Council Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Claudio Valerani
- Parco Nazionale delle "Cinque Terre", Via Discovolo snc - c/o Stazione Manarola, 19017 Riomaggiore, SP, Italy
| | - Giandomenico Ardizzone
- Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Viale dell'Università 32, 00185, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - Marco Matiddi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy.
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Digka N, Bray L, Tsangaris C, Andreanidou K, Kasimati E, Kofidou E, Komnenou A, Kaberi H. Evidence of ingested plastics in stranded loggerhead sea turtles along the Greek coastline, East Mediterranean Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114596. [PMID: 32325357 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plastic debris has become a major threat to the marine environment and wildlife. Sea turtles are particularly vulnerable, and are known to ingest plastic debris globally; however, information from Greek waters is still absent. In this study, 36 stranded dead loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) were collected from the Greek coastline area, and their gastrointestinal content was analysed for ingested plastic debris. Twenty-six individuals (72%) were found to have ingested plastic, with an average of 7.94 ± 3.85 (SE) plastic items per turtle. In total, 286 plastic items were counted and categorised by size, shape, colour, and polymer type. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry revealed that polypropylene and polyethylene were the dominant polymer plastic types found. Results indicated a variation in plastic ingestion amongst life stages of the loggerhead specimens. This study provides evidence of plastic ingestion by loggerhead turtles in Greek waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikoletta Digka
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece.
| | - Laura Bray
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | - Catherine Tsangaris
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | | | - Eirini Kasimati
- ARCHELON, The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, Solomou 57, 104 32, Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia Kofidou
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St. Voutyra Str, Thessaloniki, 54627, Greece
| | - Anastasia Komnenou
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St. Voutyra Str, Thessaloniki, 54627, Greece
| | - Helen Kaberi
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
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Valente T, Scacco U, Matiddi M. Macro-litter ingestion in deep-water habitats: is an underestimation occurring? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 186:109556. [PMID: 32334175 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine litter affects marine organisms, posing threats to biodiversity conservation and to ecosystem structure and functioning. Providing a suitable assessment of marine litter effects on marine life through bioindicator species is crucial to drive an effective waste management policy. However, to date no standardized tool has been developed to describe and monitor the impact of marine macro-litter on marine life within deep-water habitats. Modifying the protocol proposed to monitor macro-litter ingestion by the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta, we perform a preliminary investigation on the suitability of different elasmobranch species for monitoring macro-litter ingestion in deep-sea. A total of 122 specimens representing 7 elasmobranch species were collected and examined. External visual inspections documented no clear evidences of disease due to marine litter entanglement. A total of 7 ingested litter items were found in the stomach or in the esophagus of 6 specimens of 4 different species (frequency of occurrence = 4.9%), with a maximum number of 2 items per specimen. No litter items were found in the intestinal contents, as well as no evidence of gastrointestinal blockages due to litter items were detected. The low number of collected litter items suggests that the number of samples required is too large for a feasible monitoring program. Moreover, we observed that the anatomy of the intestinal spiral valve may represent an obstacle to the transit of macro-litter items, which could be spontaneously regurgitated as it happens in the selective elimination of undigested remains, such as bones and scales. Therefore, macro-litter retention time in the gastrointestinal tract of elasmobranchs could be brief and shorter than retention time of food. This may lead to an underestimation of macro-litter ingestion frequency by deep-water elasmobranchs. This study reports the first evidence of plastic ingestion by the kitefin shark Dalatias licha.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Valente
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Roma, RM, Italy.
| | - Umberto Scacco
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Roma, RM, Italy.
| | - Marco Matiddi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00144, Roma, RM, Italy.
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Compa M, Alomar C, Mourre B, March D, Tintoré J, Deudero S. Nearshore spatio-temporal sea surface trawls of plastic debris in the Balearic Islands. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 158:104945. [PMID: 32217295 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Nearshore sea-surface manta trawls were carried out monthly at seven sites along the coastline of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Plastic marine debris was present in all trawls (n = 63) with an overall average abundance of 858,029 ± 4,082,964 items/km2 (mean ± standard deviation) and weight of 4,520 ± 22,806 g(DW)/km2 and the micro-plastic fraction (74%) dominating the size class. Polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE) was the most common polymer (70%) with high spatial heterogeneity, especially along the north-western coast. August showed almost two-fold as much plastic as the other months, and the number of items decreased significantly with distance from the coastline. A positive correlation was found with the fractal dimension of the coastline indicating higher coastal plastic debris retention in areas with a higher fractal dimension and backtracking simulations indicated that marine litter was mainly locally sourced. Overall results indicate a significant small scale variability of nearshore coastal marine plastic in the Balearic Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Compa
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
| | - Carme Alomar
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Baptiste Mourre
- SOCIB, Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System, Parc Bit, Naorte, Bloc A 2, pta. 3. 07121, Palma-Illes Balears, Spain
| | - David March
- SOCIB, Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System, Parc Bit, Naorte, Bloc A 2, pta. 3. 07121, Palma-Illes Balears, Spain; Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joaquín Tintoré
- SOCIB, Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System, Parc Bit, Naorte, Bloc A 2, pta. 3. 07121, Palma-Illes Balears, Spain; IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), C/Miquel Marques, 21, 07190, Esporles-Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Salud Deudero
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Muelle de Poniente s/n, 07015, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
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Ryan PG, Pichegru L, Perold V, Moloney CL. Monitoring marine plastics – will we know if we are making a difference? S AFR J SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2020/7678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In the context of marine anthropogenic debris management, monitoring is essential to assess whether mitigation measures to reduce the amounts of waste plastic entering the environment are being effective. In South Africa, baselines against which changes can be assessed include data from the 1970s to the 1990s on microplastics floating at sea, on macro- and microplastic beach debris, and interactions with biota. However, detecting changes in the abundance of microplastics at sea is complicated by high spatial and temporal heterogeneity in net samples. Beach debris data are easier to gather, but their interpretation is complicated by the dynamic nature of debris fluxes on beaches and the increase in beach cleaning effort over time. Sampling plastic ingested by biota is a powerful approach, because animals that retain ingested plastic for protracted periods integrate plastics over space and time, but there are ethical issues to using biota as bioindicators, particularly for species that require destructive sampling (e.g. turtles, seabirds). Bioindicators could be established among fish and invertebrates, but there are technical challenges with sampling microplastics smaller than 1 mm. Fine-scale debris accumulation on beaches provides an index of macroplastic abundance in coastal waters, and offers a practical way to track changes in the amounts and composition of debris in coastal waters. However, upstream flux measures (i.e. in catchments, rivers and storm-water run-off) provide a more direct assessment of mitigation measures for land-based sources. Similarly, monitoring refuse returned to port by vessels is the best way to ensure compliance with legislation prohibiting the dumping of plastics at sea. Significance: • Monitoring is required to assess whether mitigation measures to reduce waste plastics at sea are making a difference. • Monitoring the leakage of plastic from land-based sources is best addressed on land (e.g. in storm drains and river run-off) before the plastic reaches the sea. • Illegal dumping from ships is best addressed by monitoring the use of port waste reception facilities. • Sampling plastic ingested by biota is a powerful approach, using fish and invertebrates as bioindicators for larger microplastic fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lorien Pichegru
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Vonica Perold
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Coleen L. Moloney
- Department of Biological Sciences and Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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40
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Kühn S, van Franeker JA. Quantitative overview of marine debris ingested by marine megafauna. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 151:110858. [PMID: 32056640 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
This review quantifies plastic interaction in marine biota. Firstly, entanglement and ingestion records for all marine birds, mammals, turtles, fish, and invertebrate species, are summarized from 747 studies. Marine debris affected 914 species through entanglement and/or ingestion. Ingestion was recorded for 701 species, entanglement was documented for 354 species. Secondly, the frequency of occurrence of ingestion per species (Sp-%FO) was extracted for marine birds, mammals and turtles. Thirdly, for seabird species, average numbers of plastics ingested per individual were determined. Highest Sp-%FO and average number of plastics were found in tubenosed seabirds with 41% of all birds analysed having plastics, on average 9.9 particles per bird. The Sp-%FO and average number of ingested particles is lower for most other species. However, for certain species, ingestion rates of litter are reason for serious concern. Standardized methods are crucial for future studies, to generate datasets that allow higher level ecosystem analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Kühn
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands.
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41
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Kühn S, van Franeker JA, O'Donoghue AM, Swiers A, Starkenburg M, van Werven B, Foekema E, Hermsen E, Egelkraut-Holtus M, Lindeboom H. Details of plastic ingestion and fibre contamination in North Sea fishes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 257:113569. [PMID: 31753635 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This study combines published datasets with unpublished data on plastic ingestion in several North Sea fish species. The combined dataset of 4389 individuals from 15 species allows the analysis of spatial distribution and temporal variability of plastic uptake in fish. Airborne fibre contamination was observed to be the main contributor to fibres encountered in the samples. The number of fibres in samples was strongly related to the time needed to process a sample, not to the number of individual fishes in the sample. Accurate correction for secondary fibre contamination was not possible, but corrections required would be similar to fibre numbers observed in the samples. Consequently, all fibres were omitted from further analysis. The frequency of occurrence and the average number of plastics in fish is generally low (1.8% and 0.022 pieces per organism respectively), with only cod having a higher prevalence (12.3%). While latitude of catch locations influences plastic uptake in fish, no correlation with the distance to the coast was found. Slightly less plastics were ingested in winter, and a decrease in plastics ingested was observed between 2009 and 2018. These factors should be considered when fish species, catch location and time are discussed as indicators for plastic pollution in the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. We recommend considering demersal cod and pelagic sprat as two species suitable for monitoring plastic ingestion in biota, both on the seafloor and in the water column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Kühn
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG, Den Helder, the Netherlands.
| | - Jan A van Franeker
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG, Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Anastasia M O'Donoghue
- University of Utrecht, Vening Meinesz Building A, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ailynn Swiers
- University of Applied Science Van Hall Larenstein, P.O. Box 1528, 8901 BV, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
| | - Marrit Starkenburg
- University of Applied Science Van Hall Larenstein, P.O. Box 1528, 8901 BV, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
| | - Bernike van Werven
- University of Utrecht, Vening Meinesz Building A, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Edwin Foekema
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG, Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Enya Hermsen
- Wageningen University & Research, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Han Lindeboom
- Wageningen University & Research, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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42
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Gleason FH, Allerstorfer M, Lilje O. Newly emerging diseases of marine turtles, especially sea turtle egg fusariosis (SEFT), caused by species in the Fusarium solani complex (FSSC). Mycology 2020; 11:184-194. [PMID: 33062381 PMCID: PMC7534349 DOI: 10.1080/21501203.2019.1710303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea turtles are presently considered severely endangered species that are historically threatened by many environmental factors. Recently, additional threats to sea turtles from two pathogenic species of fungi in the Fusarium solani species complex (F. falciforme and F. keratoplasticum) have been identified. These species infect marine turtle eggs, causing sea turtle egg fusariosis, and kill their embryos, with recent reports of hatch-failure in seven globally distributed species of endangered sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, Dermochelys coriaceae, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea, Lepidochelys kempi and Natator depressus). Mycelia and spores of pathogenic species of Fusarium are produced in disturbed terrestrial soils and are transported to the ocean in coastal run off. We propose that these fungi grow on floating particles of plant tissues (leaves and wood), animal tissues, silt and plastics, which are carried by wind and currents and the turtles themselves to the beaches where the turtles lay their eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank H Gleason
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Monika Allerstorfer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Osu Lilje
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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43
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Arcangeli A, Maffucci F, Atzori F, Azzolin M, Campana I, Carosso L, Crosti R, Frau F, David L, Di-Méglio N, Roul M, Gregorietti M, Mazzucato V, Pellegrino G, Giacoletti A, Paraboschi M, Zampollo A, de Lucia GA, Hochscheid S. Turtles on the trash track: loggerhead turtles exposed to floating plastic in the Mediterranean Sea. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2019. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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44
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Mokos M, Zamora Martinez I, Zubak I. Is central Croatian Adriatic Sea under plastic attack? Preliminary results of composition, abundance and sources of marine litter on three beaches. RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-019-00851-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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45
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Signoret C, Caro-Bretelle AS, Lopez-Cuesta JM, Ienny P, Perrin D. MIR spectral characterization of plastic to enable discrimination in an industrial recycling context: II. Specific case of polyolefins. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2019; 98:160-172. [PMID: 31450178 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sorting at industrial scale is required to perform mechanical recycling of plastics in order to obtain properties that could be competitive with virgin polymers. As a matter of fact, the most part of the various types of plastic waste are not miscible and even compatible. Mid-Infrared (MIR) HyperSpectral Imagery (HSI) is viewed as one of the solutions to the problem of black plastic sorting. Many Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) plastics are black. Nowadays, these materials are difficult to sort at an industrial scale because the main used pigment to produce this color, carbon black, masks the Near-Infrared (NIR) spectra of polymers, the currently most used technology for acute sorting in industrial conditions. In this study, laboratory Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) in Attenuated Total Reflection mode (ATR) has been used as a theoretical toolbox based on physical chemistry to help building an automated HSI discrimination despite its limited conditions, especially shorter wavelengths ranges. Weaker resolution and very short acquisition times are other HSI limitations. Helping fast and exhaustive laboratory characterizations of polymeric waste stocks is the other goal of this study. This study focusses on polyolefins as they represent the second biggest fraction of WEEE plastics (WEEP) after styrenics and since little quantities mixed to styrenics during mechanical recycling can lead to important decrease in mechanical properties. Twelve references were thus evaluated and compared between each other and with real waste samples to highlight spectral elements, which can enable differentiation. Charts compiling the signals of discussed polymers were built aiming to the same objective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Signoret
- C2MA, IMT Mines Ales, Univ Montpellier, 7 Avenue Jules Renard 30100 Ales, France
| | | | | | - Patrick Ienny
- C2MA, IMT Mines Ales, Univ Montpellier, 7 Avenue Jules Renard 30100 Ales, France
| | - Didier Perrin
- C2MA, IMT Mines Ales, Univ Montpellier, 7 Avenue Jules Renard 30100 Ales, France.
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46
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Valente T, Sbrana A, Scacco U, Jacomini C, Bianchi J, Palazzo L, de Lucia GA, Silvestri C, Matiddi M. Exploring microplastic ingestion by three deep-water elasmobranch species: A case study from the Tyrrhenian Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 253:342-350. [PMID: 31325878 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
This study analyzes microplastic ingestion by three deep-water elasmobranch species (Galeus melastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula and Etmopterus spinax) from the Tyrrhenian Sea, discriminating between stomach and intestine contents. The absence of significant differences in frequency and abundance of plastic items into stomachs seems to suggest that ecological diversity among the three sharks does not strongly influence the probability of plastic ingestion in the study area. On the other hand, the detected differences in the microplastic content into the intestine might be due to a different retention time of microplastics, suggesting how feeding habits could influence metabolic features, and therefore affect the recovery of ingested plastic items. This information would improve the future development of marine micro-litter monitoring systems, following the MSFD requirements. Moreover, this study shows that all the three examined elasmobranch species can give important information even with relatively small sample sizes (N ≈ 30), and they could be used as target species for monitoring micro-litter ingestion in deep-water habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Valente
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy.
| | - Alice Sbrana
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Umberto Scacco
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Carlo Jacomini
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Jessica Bianchi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy; Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy
| | - Luca Palazzo
- Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis 44, 01100, Viterbo, VT, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Andrea de Lucia
- IAMC-CNR, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment - National Research Council Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170, Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy
| | - Marco Matiddi
- ISPRA, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Roma, RM, Italy
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47
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Duncan EM, Arrowsmith JA, Bain CE, Bowdery H, Broderick AC, Chalmers T, Fuller WJ, Galloway TS, Lee JH, Lindeque PK, Omeyer LCM, Snape RTE, Godley BJ. Diet-related selectivity of macroplastic ingestion in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the eastern Mediterranean. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11581. [PMID: 31399637 PMCID: PMC6688982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48086-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of key interactions between marine vertebrates and plastic pollution is now considered a research priority. Sea turtles are primarily visual predators, with the ability to discriminate according to colour and shape; therefore these factors play a role in feeding choices. Classification methodologies of ingested plastic currently do not record these variables, however here, refined protocols allow us to test the hypothesis that plastic is selectively ingested when it resembles the food items of green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Turtles in the eastern Mediterranean displayed strong diet-related selectivity towards certain types (sheet and threadlike), colours (black, clear and green) and shapes (linear items strongly preferred) of plastic when compared to the environmental baseline of plastic beach debris. There was a significant negative relationship between size of turtle (curved carapace length) and number/mass of plastic pieces ingested, which may be explained through naivety and/or ontogenetic shifts in diet. Further investigation in other species and sites are needed to more fully ascertain the role of selectivity in plastic ingestion in this marine vertebrate group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Duncan
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4PY, UK.,Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Jessica A Arrowsmith
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Charlotte E Bain
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hannah Bowdery
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Annette C Broderick
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Tierney Chalmers
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Wayne J Fuller
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, North Cyprus Mersin 10, Turkey.,Society for Protection of Turtles, PK65, Kyrenia, North Cyprus Mersin 10, Turkey
| | - Tamara S Galloway
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4PY, UK
| | - Jonathon H Lee
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Penelope K Lindeque
- Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Lucy C M Omeyer
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Robin T E Snape
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.,Society for Protection of Turtles, PK65, Kyrenia, North Cyprus Mersin 10, Turkey
| | - Brendan J Godley
- Marine Turtle Research Group, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
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48
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Provencher JF, Borrelle SB, Bond AL, Lavers JL, van Franeker JA, Kühn S, Hammer S, Avery-Gomm S, Mallory ML. Recommended best practices for plastic and litter ingestion studies in marine birds: Collection, processing, and reporting. Facets (Ott) 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2018-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine plastic pollution is an environmental contaminant of significant concern. There is a lack of consistency in sample collection and processing that continues to impede meta-analyses and large-scale comparisons across time and space. This is true for most taxa, including seabirds, which are the most studied megafauna group with regards to plastic ingestion research. Consequently, it is difficult to evaluate the impacts and extent of plastic contamination in seabirds fully and accurately, and to make inferences about species for which we have little or no data. We provide a synthesized set of recommendations specific for seabirds and plastic ingestion studies that include best practices in relation to sample collection, processing, and reporting, as well as highlighting some “cross-cutting” methods. We include guidance for how carcasses, regurgitations, and pellets should be handled and treated to prevent cross-contamination, and a discussion of what size class of microplastics can be assessed in each sample type. Although we focus on marine bird samples, we also include standardized techniques to remove sediment and biological material that are generalizable to other taxa. Lastly, metrics and data presentation of ingested plastics are briefly reviewed in the context of seabird studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F. Provencher
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC K1A 0H3, Canada
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Stephanie B. Borrelle
- David H. Smith Conservation Research Program, Society for Conservation Biology, Washington, DC 20005, USA
- Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust, Leigh 0947, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alexander L. Bond
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Jennifer L. Lavers
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, Tasmania 7004, Australia
| | - Jan A. van Franeker
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne Kühn
- Wageningen Marine Research, Ankerpark 27, 1781 AG Den Helder, the Netherlands
| | - Sjúrður Hammer
- Faroe Marine Research Institute, FO-110 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Stephanie Avery-Gomm
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mark L. Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
- Canada Fulbright Chair in Arctic Studies, University of Washington, Box 353650, Seattle, WA 98195-3560, USA
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49
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Claro F, Fossi MC, Ioakeimidis C, Baini M, Lusher AL, Mc Fee W, McIntosh RR, Pelamatti T, Sorce M, Galgani F, Hardesty BD. Tools and constraints in monitoring interactions between marine litter and megafauna: Insights from case studies around the world. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 141:147-160. [PMID: 30955719 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Adverse impacts of marine litter is documented on >1400 species, including marine megafauna (fish, birds, sea turtles and mammals). The primary impacts include ingestion and entanglement, and there is increasing concern about chemical contamination via ingestion. Numerous survey approaches and monitoring programs have been developed and implemented around the world. They may aim to provide data about parameters such as species distribution and interactions with anthropogenic activities. During the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference, a session was dedicated to the tools and constraints in monitoring interactions between litter and megafauna. In the present paper, we summarize 7 case studies which discuss entanglement and ingestion including macro- and micro-debris in several taxa and across multiple geographic regions. We then discusses the importance of tools and standardizing methods for assessment and management purposes, in the context of international environmental policies and marine litter strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Claro
- Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMS 2006 AFB MNHN CNRS CP41, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
| | - M C Fossi
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - C Ioakeimidis
- Mediterranean Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL), UN Environment/Mediterranean Action Plan Coordinating Unit, Barcelona Convention Secretariat, Vas. Konstantinou 48, Athens 11635, Greece
| | - M Baini
- Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli, 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - A L Lusher
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - W Mc Fee
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - R R McIntosh
- Research Department, Phillip Island Nature Parks, P.O. Box 97, Cowes, VIC 3922, Australia
| | - T Pelamatti
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN), Av. IPN s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico; Pelagios Kakunja A.C., Sinaloa 1540, Las Garzas, 23070 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - M Sorce
- Harvard University, 15 Sanger Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - F Galgani
- IFREMER, Immeuble Agostini, ZI Furiani, 20600 Bastia, France
| | - B D Hardesty
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
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50
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Bray L, Digka N, Tsangaris C, Camedda A, Gambaiani D, de Lucia GA, Matiddi M, Miaud C, Palazzo L, Pérez-Del-Olmo A, Raga JA, Silvestri C, Kaberi H. Determining suitable fish to monitor plastic ingestion trends in the Mediterranean Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 247:1071-1077. [PMID: 30823336 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The presence of marine litter is a complex, yet persistent, threat to the health and biodiversity of the marine environment, and plastic is the most abundant, and ubiquitous type of marine litter. To monitor the level of plastic waste in an area, and the prospect of it entering the food chain, bioindicator species are used extensively throughout Northern European Seas, however due to their distribution ranges many are not applicable to the Mediterranean Sea. Guidance published for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive suggests that the contents of fish stomachs may be analyzed to determine trends of marine plastic ingestion. In order to equate transnational trends in marine plastic ingestion, the use of standardized fish species that widely occur throughout the basin is favoured, however for the Mediterranean Sea, specific species are not listed. Here we propose a methodology to assess how effective Mediterranean fish species, that are known to have ingested marine plastic, are as bioindicators. A new Bioindicator Index (BI) was established by incorporating several parameters considered important for bioindicators. These parameters included species distribution throughout the Mediterranean basin, several life history traits, the commercial value of each species, and the occurrence of marine litter in their gut contents. By collecting existing data for Mediterranean fish, ranked scores were assigned to each trait and an average value (BI value) was calculated for each species. Based on their habitat preferences, Engraulis encrasicolus (pelagic), Boops boops (benthopelagic), three species of Myctophidae (Hygophum benoiti, Myctophum punctatum and Electrona risso) (mesopelagic), Mullus barbatus barbartus (demersal) and Chelidonichthys lucerna (benthic), were identified as currently, the most suitable fish for monitoring the ingestion of marine plastics throughout the Mediterranean basin. The use of standardized indicator species will ensure coherence in the reporting of marine litter ingestion trends throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bray
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece.
| | - Nikoletta Digka
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | - Catherine Tsangaris
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
| | - Andrea Camedda
- CNR-IAS Oristano (National Research Council), Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, OR, Italy
| | - Delphine Gambaiani
- PSL, CEFE UMR 5175, EPHE, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Marco Matiddi
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Roma, Italy
| | - Claude Miaud
- PSL, CEFE UMR 5175, EPHE, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, Montpellier, France
| | - Luca Palazzo
- CNR-IAS Oristano (National Research Council), Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, OR, Italy; Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ana Pérez-Del-Olmo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Antonio Raga
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Science Park, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Cecilia Silvestri
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144, Roma, Italy
| | - Helen Kaberi
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Ave. Anavyssos, Attiki, 19013, Greece
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