Relationship of Microplastics to Body Size for Two Estuarine Fishes

Abstract

In the northern Gulf of Mexico, microplastics are reported in very high concentrations, which are thought to be partly sourced from the Mississippi River. This study sought to quantify microplastics across body size in two fish species, the hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis) and southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma), common to Gulf of Mexico estuaries. We hypothesized that counts of ingested microplastics would be higher in smaller fishes than larger fishes. Fish were sampled in 2018 and 2019 across coastal Louisiana and represented a balanced range of length classes. Both species in our study ingested microplastics—25% of southern flounder and 15% of hardhead catfish. There was a significant positive effect of total length on microplastic loads in hardhead catfish. Due to the biological importance and management relevance of fish length, the study of microplastic loads and effects on fish may need to move beyond aggregating a species to considerations of individual size.