Setting the scene: Should we expect small pelagic fish to ingest plastic pellets?
We investigated the ingestion of preproduced plastic pellets (<3 mm), also known as nurdles, by mesopelagic teleost fish following an industrial spill near the eastern Cantabrian continental shelf. We analyzed 228 specimens from seven pelagic fish species but found no pellet ingestion. The absenc...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Estado: | Versão publicada |
| Data de publicação: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositório: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/419123 |
| Acesso em linha: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/419123 https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105025729168 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Cantabrian coast Marine pollution Microplastics spill Nurdles Pelagic fish Plastic pellets |
| Resumo: | We investigated the ingestion of preproduced plastic pellets (<3 mm), also known as nurdles, by mesopelagic teleost fish following an industrial spill near the eastern Cantabrian continental shelf. We analyzed 228 specimens from seven pelagic fish species but found no pellet ingestion. The absence of plastic ingestion is likely due to several factors, including low pellet concentrations in the sampling area, their high buoyancy keeping them beyond the fish feeding zone, or species-specific feeding selectivity. The findings of this study suggest a low occurrence of plastic pellets in the stomachs of mesopelagic fauna, though ingestion may be more likely in areas with higher pellet concentrations. This study provides a baseline for assessing mesopelagic species' responses to future plastic pellet spills. |
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