Our student Olga Novillo Sanjuan has just deposited her doctoral thesis entitled "ASSESSMENT OF MICROPLASTICS AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS IN MARINE VERTEBRATES FROM THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA", which analyzes the exposure of loggerhead turtles, striped dolphins, and jeweled lanternfish (Lampanyctus crocodilus) to different contaminants and microplastics, evaluating the role of these species as bioindicators of marine pollution.
The studies conducted throughout this thesis have been carried out in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea (Valencian Community, Eastern Spain), where we can easily find loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta, Linnaeus, 1758), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba, Meyen 1833), and jeweled lanternfish (Lampanyctus crocodilus, Risso 1810), which are described as important prey for the aforementioned cetacean species. These three species could be exposed to significant amounts of organic chemicals, heavy metals and plastic waste in this area; in this sense, the nearby territory (Spanish Levante) is a known source of multiple pollutants due to intensive agriculture, mass tourism, high urbanization and population concentrations. In relation to this situation, in this thesis we analyze the exposure of the mentioned species to different pollutants, establishing baselines for future monitoring studies and providing data for potential mitigation plans.
More details about this project can be found in the following video
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