The hotspots of entanglement for pinnipeds of the world.

Pinnipeds represent one of the most vulnerable marine groups severely affected by entanglements. However, the lack of standardized data collection poses a challenge when comparing the impacts of fishing gear across various geographic regions. In this study, we employed Generalized Additive Models to predict entanglement incidents stemming from fishing-related activities for 13 pinniped species across the last four decades (1976-2017). The models incorporated reported entanglement numbers, fishing effort covariates based on different gear types, and floating plastic debris distribution for each species. Through this approach, we generated global hotspot maps that pinpoint regions of heightened vulnerability where pinnipeds are susceptible to entanglement in lost gear. The best-performing model highlighted both species characteristics and the presence of floating plastic debris as pivotal factors in predicting pinniped entanglements. Our analysis revealed entanglement hotspots in the North Pacific and Southeastern Australia. This demonstrates the efficacy of our methodology in identifying high-priority geographic areas.

Occurrence, source estimation, and risk assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in coastal seawaters from the Quintero Industrial Complex (Valparaíso, Chile).

In the 1960s, the Quintero industrial complex was inaugurated in Chile. This began a history of dramatic anthropogenic impacts on the Chilean coast. Among the known, we could mention high atmospheric emissions of chemicals due to combustion processes and frequent oil spills. For this reason, we surveyed the concentrations of fifteen EPAPAHs in the surface coastal waters of the Quintero Bay area in 2015. The levels found are in the range of the highest levels when reviewing the literature (0.97 µg L-1 up to 9.84 µg L-1). The highest levels were found in the vicinity of the industrial complex and decreased in the other two zones. The concentration of individual compounds significantly exceeds the levels recommended by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the EU water framework directive (WFD). The risk estimations revealed that PAH concentrations represent high-risk for wildlife. Molecular ratios of PAHs were used to identify the possible sources, being these were mainly of pyrogenic origin, agreeing with an origin in the combustion of wood, coal, grass, and fossil fuels. This study contributes to the first data for surface water in a country's highly impacted industrial coastal area.

Microplastic ingestion cause intestinal lesions in the intertidal fish Girella laevifrons.

We exposed juvenile intertidal fish to different amounts of Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microplastics in their diet. We fed ten individuals with pellets containing 0.01 g, another ten fish with pellets containing 0.1 g of PS, and ten fish without plastic as control. After 45 days of treatment, the whole intestine was removed, and the histological evaluation started immediately. We evaluated inflammation due to leukocyte infiltration (Lk), circulatory disorders like Hypermeia (Hyp), and regressive changes in the intestinal tissue, assessing Crypt cell loss (Ccl) and Villi cell loss (Vcl). The severity of the lesions increased according to the microplastic concentration. In the fish group feeding on microplastics, we found that leukocyte infiltration and hyperemia were more severe in the higher exposure group compared to the lower exposure; and crypt cell loss and villi cell loss increased significantly due to Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) microplastic physical abrasion.

First detection of plastic microfibers in a wild population of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in the Chilean Northern Patagonia.

The dramatic increase of microplastics (plastic fragments <5 mm) in marine environments is a problem that has attracted public attention globally. Within the different types of microplastics, microfibres are the least studied (size <1 mm). We examined 51 female scats from a population in Northern Patagonia. Our results showed no presence of microplastic particles, however 67% of them showed a remarkable abundance of microfibers, which until now had only been reported in animals fed in captivity. As a result of this work we propose that the examination of scats from South American Fur Seal and also other pinnipeds could be an efficient tool to monitor environmental levels of microfibres and maybe microplastics in the environment due to the easy recognition of the animals and their scats.