Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Implications on commercially important Fish and Invertebrate species of the Eastern Aegean Sea

Title:
Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Implications on commercially important Fish and Invertebrate species of the Eastern Aegean Sea
Authors:
DAINES-RAVN A. V. , FARAGGIANA E., PIETROLUONGO G, QUINTANA B., MILIOU A.

Abstract:
The occurrence of microplastics in the marine environment has increased over the last decades ,with estimates reporting 5.25 trillion particles of plastics floating in the oceans in 20141. Marine plastic debris represents a global threat to biodiversity as it may seriously affect the ecosystems functions and services of areas such as the Mediterranean Sea, defined as one of the most polluted seas worldwide2. And yet, detailed documentations on the distribution and extent of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean basin and its effects on marine life are currently lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate how the abundance and distribution of microplastics varies across marine species native to Samos Island, situated in the North-Eastern Aegean Sea (Greece)