Microplastics in zooplankton in the eastern Arabian Sea: The threats they pose to fish and corals favoured by coastal currents

The baseline study of Microplastics (MPs) in zooplankton (copepods, chaetognaths, decapods, and fish larvae) from six different zones along India's west coast (off Kanyakumari/Cape Comorin, Kochi, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, and Okha) in the Eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) is presented here with their vast ecosystem impacts. This investigation revealed that zooplankton in all six zones accumulated MPs pellets (52.14%), fibres (28.40%), films (10.51%), and fragments (8.95%). The highest average retention of MPs (MPs/individual) was found in fish larvae (av. 0.57 +/- 0.18) while copepods had the lowest (av. 0.03 +/- 0.01). The presence of low-density poly-ethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate was confirmed by Raman Spectra of MPs. The MPs in zooplankton found in this study (av. 22 +/- 7 pieces/m(3)) were nearly 2-fold greater than those found in some of the world's most densely populated areas. It is shown that the strong southerly coastal currents could advect the MPs contaminated water mass too far away, having the potential to affect the fish and corals.

Automated summary

The baseline study of Microplastics in zooplankton along India's west coast revealed that zooplankton in all six zones accumulated MPs pellets, fibres, films, and fragments, with fish larvae having the highest average retention of MPs and copepods the lowest. Raman Spectra confirmed the presence of various types of microplastics in the zooplankton, with the study showing higher levels compared to densely populated areas in the world, indicating potential impacts on fish and corals.