Ingestion of microplastics and microfibers by the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun 1896) in the Balearic Islands, Spain.

ABSTRACT: The blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is native to the western coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and is currently considered an invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we examined the stomach contents of C. sapidus to determine the frequency of occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and microfibers (MFs) in the Balearic Islands archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea. A total of 120 individuals were collected from six locations between 2017 and 2020. Overall, 65.8% of the individuals had MPs and/or MFs particles with an average of 1.4 ± 1.6 particles ind.^-1 of which an average of 1.0 ± 1.3 items ind.^-1 were MFs and an average of 0.4 ± 0.8 items ind.^-1 were MPs. In terms of type, fragments were the dominant type of MPs and the most com

SUBMITTER: Compa M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10698140 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature