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dc.contributor.authorDeakin, K
dc.contributor.authorSavage, G
dc.contributor.authorJones, JS
dc.contributor.authorPorter, A
dc.contributor.authorMuñoz-Pérez, JP
dc.contributor.authorSantillo, D
dc.contributor.authorLewis, C
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-07T14:42:59Z
dc.date.issued2024-03-02
dc.date.updated2024-03-07T13:31:21Z
dc.description.abstractPlastic pollution in the oceans is increasing, yet most global sea surface data is collected using plankton nets which limits our knowledge of the smaller and more bioaccessible size fraction of microplastics (<5 mm). We sampled the biodiverse coastal waters of the Galapagos Island of San Cristobal, comparing two different microplastic sampling methodologies; 1 l whole seawater grab samples filtered to 1.2 μm and sea surface plankton tows with a net mesh size of 200 μm. Our data reveal high concentrations of microplastics in Galapagos coastal waters surrounding the urban area, averaging 11.5 ± 1.48 particles l−1, with a four-order of magnitude increase in microplastic abundance observed using grab sampling compared with 200 μm plankton nets. This increase was greater when including anthropogenic cellulose particles, averaging 19.8 ± 1.86 particles l−1. Microplastic and anthropogenic cellulose particles smaller than 200 μm comprised 44 % of the particles from grab samples, suggesting previous estimates of microplastic pollution based on plankton nets likely miss and therefore underestimate these smaller particles. The particle characteristics and distribution of these smaller particles points strongly to a local input of cellulosic fibres in addition to the microplastic particles transported longer distances via the Humbolt current found across the surface seawater of the Galapagos. Improving our understanding of particle characteristics and distributions to highlight likely local sources will facilitate the development of local mitigation and management plans to reduce the input and impacts of microplastics to marine species, not just in the Galapagos but globally.en_GB
dc.description.sponsorshipGalapagos Conservation Trusten_GB
dc.description.sponsorshipWoodspring Trusten_GB
dc.description.sponsorshipBritish Embassy Quitoen_GB
dc.description.sponsorshipNatural Environment Research Council (NERC)en_GB
dc.identifier.citationVol. 923, article 171428en_GB
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171428
dc.identifier.grantnumberNE/V005448/1en_GB
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10871/135495
dc.identifierORCID: 0000-0002-3564-2906 (Lewis, Ceri)
dc.language.isoenen_GB
dc.publisherElsevieren_GB
dc.relation.urlhttps://doi.org/10.5285/0861da3d-4d76-50f0-e063-6c86abc08a7een_GB
dc.rights© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).en_GB
dc.subjectPlastic pollutionen_GB
dc.subjectEastern Pacificen_GB
dc.subjectSeawateren_GB
dc.subjectMesh sizeen_GB
dc.subjectPlankton towsen_GB
dc.subjectAnthropogenic celluloseen_GB
dc.titleSea surface microplastics in the Galapagos: Grab samples reveal high concentrations of particles <200 μm in sizeen_GB
dc.typeArticleen_GB
dc.date.available2024-03-07T14:42:59Z
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
exeter.article-number171428
dc.descriptionThis is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recorden_GB
dc.descriptionData availability: The research data supporting this publication are openly available from NERC EDS British Oceanographic Data Centre NOC at: https://doi.org/10.5285/0861da3d-4d76-50f0-e063-6c86abc08a7een_GB
dc.identifier.journalScience of The Total Environmenten_GB
dc.relation.ispartofThe Science of The Total Environment
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en_GB
dcterms.dateAccepted2024-03-29
rioxxterms.versionVoRen_GB
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2024-03-02
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Reviewen_GB
refterms.dateFCD2024-03-07T14:36:29Z
refterms.versionFCDVoR
refterms.dateFOA2024-03-07T14:43:01Z
refterms.panelAen_GB


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© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).