Microplastics in fecal samples of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and from surface water in the Philippines.

ABSTRACT: Marine plastic abundance has increased over the past 60 years and microplastics (< 5 mm) constitute a primary component of such litter. Filter-feeding megafauna, such as the whale shark, might be particularly affected by microplastic pollution as their feeding mode requires filtration of up to thousands of cubic meters of water. In addition, the habitat range of whale sharks intersects with several recognized microplastic pollution hotspots, among which is the Coral Triangle. Direct evidence for microplastic ingestion in whale sharks however, has not yet been presented. Here we show that whale shark scat collected in the Philippines from 2012 to 2019 contained a mean of 2.8 microplastics g^- 1. Contrary to our expectations, the microplastic concentration in the scat remained cons

SUBMITTER: Yong MMH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8475362 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature