Microplastic Fibre Presence in the Food Chain of Sphyraena viridensis in the Eastern Aegean sea, Greece

Title:
Microplastic Fibre Presence in the Food Chain of Sphyraena viridensis in the Eastern Aegean sea, Greece

Authors:
A. Miliou, S. Mentzel , M. Almeida , C. Maridakis and R. Cox

Abstract:
Microplastics are considered as a major threat not only for the wildlife but also for the human health as they accumulate within the food chain. This study evaluates the persistence of microplastic fibres in marine ecosystems around Samos Island in the eastern Aegean Sea, Greece and aims to correlate the density of microfibers to each trophic level which was represented by selected species, of the food chain. Irrespective that the results confirmed the correlation between trophic level and the mass of fibres, the smaller fish in lower trophic levels still pose a great threat due to higher concentration of microplastics. Keywords: Plastics, Pollution, Food webs, Aegean Sea, Trophic relations