New study reveals alarming levels of microplastics in stranded marine life
A new study conducted by the Archipelagos Institute for Marine Conservation, titled “First Assessment of Micro-Litter Ingested by Dolphins, Sea Turtles and Monk Seals Found Stranded along the Coasts of Samos Island, Greece,” has shed light on the extent of plastic pollution in the Aegean Sea.
The study examined the presence of microplastics and other plastics in stranded marine life, including four species of marine mammals and two species of sea turtles found dead on the shores of the northeast Aegean. The research was carried out in collaboration with scientists from Italy and Mexico.
The study found microplastic pollutants in all 25 marine animals examined (Eight dolphins, two Mediterranean monk seals and 15 sea turtles), with a total of 10,639 microplastic fibres detected in their gastrointestinal tracts.
The results indicate that plastic waste has already penetrated all levels of the ecosystems and food chain of the Greek seas.
The Mediterranean is one of the most impacted seas in the world by plastic debris, with an estimated 43.55 pieces of litter per 100 m2 of seabed, of which 70-80 percent is plastic.
