Hello MARMAM,
On behalf of my co-authors - L. Hermabessiere,
C. Rochman, D. Nowacek, and myself - I'm excited to
share our latest publication which discovered microplastics embedded in blubber, melon, acoustic fat pad and lungs of twelve marine mammal species. The article is available open access at the link below.
Microplastics in marine mammal blubber, melon, & other tissues: Evidence of
translocation
Highlights
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Internalized microplastics translocate to marine mammal organs, notably blubber.
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Samples containing microplastics spanned over two decades, beginning in 2001.
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68% of samples contained at least one microplastic particle.
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The most common polymer & shape observed were polyethylene & fibers, respectively.
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Thank you!
Greg Merrill
Duke University
Nowacek Laboratory
University Program in Ecology