Multi-specific assessment of microplastic ingestion by Antarctic fish from the Ross Sea (Southern Ocean).

Microplastics contaminate all places on Earth, including remote areas such as polar regions. To date, our knowledge on the impact of synthetic materials on the Antarctic ecosystems is still very limited. To the best of our knowledge and considering the number of individuals analyzed, this study provides the largest assessment currently available of microplastic ingestion by Antarctic fish, including the first evidence of microplastics occurrence in Chionodraco hamatus, Pagothenia borchgrevinki, and Trematomus newnesi.

Hit the target: A new experimental method to select bioindicators of microplastic ingestion by marine fish.

Implementing biomonitoring programs for assessing the impact of microplastic ingestion on marine organisms is a priority to verify the effectiveness of measures adopted by legislative frameworks to deal with plastic pollution. At the European level, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive mandates Member States to establish a unified monitoring approach. However, due to the vast range and differences in marine regions, the selection of bioindicators must be tailored locally.

Rose or Red, but Still under Threat: Comparing Microplastics Ingestion between Two Sympatric Marine Crustacean Species ( and ).

Increasing plastic contamination poses a serious threat to marine organisms. Microplastics (MPs) ingestion can represent a risk for the organism itself and for the ultimate consumer. Through the analysis of the gastrointestinal tract, coupled with stable isotope analysis on the muscle tissue, this study provides insights into the relationship between MPs pollution and ecology in two commercial marine species caught in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea: and .

Seasonal Trophic Ecology and Diet Shift in the Common Sole in the Central Adriatic Sea.

The common sole, , is one the most important commercial species in Europe and, within the Mediterranean, the Adriatic basin is the most crucial area for its production. Although the species is overexploited in the basin, data on its trophic ecology are fragmentary, even though this is one of the most important features within the Ecosystem Approach to Fishery. Here, we analysed temporal variations in the feeding ecology of the species by using an integrated approach of stomach contents and stable isotope analyses coupled with the analysis of some condition indices such as the gonadosomatic and the hepatosomatic indices.