Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles
dc.contributor.author | Duncan, EM | |
dc.contributor.author | Broderick, AC | |
dc.contributor.author | Fuller, WJ | |
dc.contributor.author | Galloway, TS | |
dc.contributor.author | Godfrey, MH | |
dc.contributor.author | Hamann, M | |
dc.contributor.author | Limpus, CJ | |
dc.contributor.author | Lindeque, PK | |
dc.contributor.author | Mayes, AG | |
dc.contributor.author | Omeyer, LCM | |
dc.contributor.author | Santillo, D | |
dc.contributor.author | Snape, RTE | |
dc.contributor.author | Godley, BJ | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2019-01-03T12:01:19Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2018-12-04 | |
dc.description.abstract | Despite concerns regarding the environmental impacts of microplastics, knowledge of the incidence and levels of synthetic particles in large marine vertebrates is lacking. Here, we utilize an optimized enzymatic digestion methodology, previously developed for zooplankton, to explore whether synthetic particles could be isolated from marine turtle ingesta. We report the presence of synthetic particles in every turtle subjected to investigation (n = 102) which included individuals from all seven species of marine turtle, sampled from three ocean basins (Atlantic [ATL]: n = 30, four species; Mediterranean (MED): n = 56, two species; Pacific (PAC): n = 16, five species). Most particles (n = 811) were fibres (ATL: 77.1% MED: 85.3% PAC: 64.8%) with blue and black being the dominant colours. In lesser quantities were fragments (ATL: 22.9%: MED: 14.7% PAC: 20.2%) and microbeads (4.8%; PAC only; to our knowledge the first isolation of microbeads from marine megavertebrates). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of a subsample of particles (n = 169) showed a range of synthetic materials such as elastomers (MED: 61.2%; PAC: 3.4%), thermoplastics (ATL: 36.8%: MED: 20.7% PAC: 27.7%) and synthetic regenerated cellulosic fibres (SRCF; ATL: 63.2%: MED: 5.8% PAC: 68.9%). Synthetic particles being isolated from species occupying different trophic levels suggest the possibility of multiple ingestion pathways. These include exposure from polluted seawater and sediments and/or additional trophic transfer from contaminated prey/forage items. We assess the likelihood that microplastic ingestion presents a significant conservation problem at current levels compared to other anthropogenic threats. | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | British High Commission in Cyprus | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | British Residents Society of North Cyprus | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Erwin Warth Foundation | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Karsiyaka Turtle Watch | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | MAVA Foundation | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Peoples Trust for Endangered Species | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Tony and Angela Wadsworth | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | English School of Kyrenia | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Turkish Cypriot Presidency | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | United States Agency for International Development | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | University of Exeter & Roger de Freitas | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Sea Life Trust | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | EU Seventh Framework Programme | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Darwin Initiative | en_GB |
dc.description.sponsorship | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) | en_GB |
dc.identifier.citation | Published online 4 December 2018 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1111/gcb.14519 | |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | 308370 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | NE/L003988/1 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.grantnumber | NE/L007010/1 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/35328 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | Wiley | en_GB |
dc.rights | © 2018 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. | en_GB |
dc.subject | anthropogenic debris | en_GB |
dc.subject | marine debris | en_GB |
dc.subject | marine plastic | en_GB |
dc.subject | marine turtle | en_GB |
dc.subject | microplastics | en_GB |
dc.subject | plastic pollution | en_GB |
dc.title | Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en_GB |
dc.date.available | 2019-01-03T12:01:19Z | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1354-1013 | |
dc.description | This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this record | en_GB |
dc.identifier.journal | Global Change Biology | en_GB |
dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en_GB |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2018-10-15 | |
exeter.funder | ::Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) | en_GB |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | en_GB |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2018-10-15 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review | en_GB |
refterms.dateFCD | 2019-01-03T11:55:14Z | |
refterms.versionFCD | VoR | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2019-01-03T12:01:22Z | |
refterms.panel | A | en_GB |
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © 2018 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.