Trophic niche features influence microplastic ingestion in Mediterranean fish species

Widespread microplastic (MP) contamination in the marine environment has raised global concern in the last decade. Scientific evidence of the adverse effects of MP on organisms is growing fast and there is urgent need to fulfil the knowledge gaps about the trophic drivers that lead to such contamination processes and resulting impacts. Fish are considered good bioindicators of MP contamination due to their easy availability, high ecological and commercial value, however our understanding of how trophic niche influences MP ingestion is limited. Here, we investigated the occurrence and abundance of MP in the gastrointestinal tract of 8 commercial fish species (Boops boops, Engraulis encrasico…