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Eating trash: ingestion of anthropogenic fragments by fish and crabs in Brazilian waters

Geslaine Rafaela L. Gonçalves1*, Isabel M. Soares1, Valter M. Azevedo-Santos1, Milena R. Wolf1 and Atonio L. Castilho1
  • 1 Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Brazil

Plastic pollution in ecosystems is undoubtedly a threat of global proportions. One of the biggest problems is that much of the plastic produced reaches the environment (Jambeck et al. 2015) and interacts with the biota. For more than 40 years, scientists have shown ingestion of fragments of this material by marine species (e.g., Carpenter et al., 1972). Recently, Lusher (2015) listed 140 species that eat plastic particles in marine environments; but this is only a minimum number. In our study, we investigated whether fish and crabs collected in the oceanic-estuarine-lagoon system of the Cananéia-Iguape area of São Paulo State, Brazil (25º04’43” S; 47º50’34” W), are ingesting plastic particles. This area supports such high faunal and floral biodiversity that it is a global biosphere reserve (Diegues, 1987; UNESCO, 1999; UNESCO, 2005). We collected specimens by trawling with a double-rig net. Fish and crab stomachs were removed and dissected and the contents were examined under a stereoscopic microscope (Zeiss Stemi SV6) with an image capture system (Zeiss Stemi 2000-C) for recording the presence or absence to plastic. We examined 139 fish and 143 crabs, comprising respectively 16 and 4 species. Plastic particles were found in all fish species (and 47.5% of the individuals) of the following: Menticirrhus saxatilis, Micropogonias furnieri, Stellifer brasiliensis, Eugerres brasilianus, Polydactylus virginicus, Conodon nobilis, Isopisthus parvipinnisi, Paralonchurus brasiliensis, Haemulopsis corvinaeformis, Peprilus crenulatus, Oligoplites saurus, Trichiurus lepturus, Chloroscombrus chrysurusl, Genidens barbusl, Cathorops spixii, Aspistor luniscutis, Callinectes danae, and Callinectes ornatus. In addition, an aluminum fragment was found in one Menticirrhus saxatilis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) specimen (Fig 1). For crabs, the presence of plastic was lower, occurring in only two species (3% of the individuals) (Fig 2). It is noteworthy that many of the collected species have commercial value and are exploited as human food. Of all the species listed, only five have previous records of plastic ingestion in the scientific literature: Polydactylus virginicus, Haemulopsis corvinaeformis, Oligoplites saurus, Trichiurus lepturus, Callinectes ornatus (Vendel et al. 2017; Schmid et al. 2018; Silva et al. 2018; Santana et al., 2017). Ours is the first record for the others. The high incidence of plastic particles in fish stomachs in our study is alarming because this material likely generates negative effects in live organisms. Therefore, Brazilian authorities together with the society must act to cease plastic use and pollution. However, because this material is transported by currents throughout the Atlantic Ocean (if not globally) -control efforts must be global. Figures Fig. 1 Marine fish collected in the Cananéia area, São Paulo, Brazil, showing absence and presence of particles entire stomachs and guts: a) aluminum inside Menticirrhus saxatilis; b) and c) microplastic inside Polydactylus virginicus and Aspistor luniscutis, respectively. Fig. 2 Marine crabs collected in the Cananéia area, São Paulo, Brazil, showing absence and presence of particles in stomachs: a) and b) microplastic inside Callinectes danae and Callinectes ornatus, respectively. Crab photo by PhD. Daphine Ramiro Herrera.

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Acknowledgements

To Robert M. Hughes per the english revision, a financial support that GRLG recive by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, Projects 2018/01659-0, 2019/00105-3) and VMAS by CAPES.

References

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Keywords: Aluminum, Commercial fish, Trophic web, Anthropogenic influences, Plastic

Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Topic: Ecology, Biodiversity and Vulnerable Ecosystems

Citation: Gonçalves GL, Soares IM, Azevedo-Santos VM, Wolf MR and Castilho AL (2019). Eating trash: ingestion of anthropogenic fragments by fish and crabs in Brazilian waters. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00193

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Received: 17 Sep 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019.

* Correspondence: Mx. Geslaine Rafaela L Gonçalves, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Sao Paulo, 11330-900, Brazil, geslainelemos@yahoo.com.br