Saving Seafood

Research reveals how microplastics threaten Gulf of Mexico marine life

September 11, 2025 — Critical wildlife habitats are exposed to pollution risk in the seas off the southern United States, with implications for human health and food security. “Most of the pollution comes from rivers and not from wastewater treatment plants,” says CMCC scientist Annalisa Bracco, co-author of the study that used advanced computer models to track tiny plastic particles across three years.

The Gulf of Mexico is facing a growing threat from microplastic pollution, with new research revealing how tiny plastic particles are accumulating in areas crucial to  including sea turtles, red snapper, and dolphins.

A study published in the journal npj Emerging Contaminants demonstrates how computer modeling can map the movement and impact of these pollutants with unprecedented precision.

The research, co-authored by CMCC scientist Annalisa Bracco, used advanced numerical models to track different sizes and types of microplastics over short periods across three years in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The findings paint a concerning picture of pollution patterns that directly threaten both marine ecosystems and the seafood that reaches consumers across the globe.

Read the full article at PHYS.org

New IAEA-coordinated research project studying microplastic presence in seafood

July 3, 2025 — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a four-year coordinated research project to study microplastics in seafood.

Microplastics – microscopic pieces of plastic waste from a range of sources – have been a significant topic for the seafood industry as more research emerges about the near ubiquitous presence of the form of pollution in food. Studies have found microplastics in a range of seafood products, including a study that found contaminants in oysters in the eastern Andaman Sea of Myanmar and another that found microplastics in nearly all tested seafood samples on the U.S. West Coast.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Scientists in Norway explore biodegradable fishing gear to tackle plastic pollution in the ocean

February 25, 2025 — To combat ocean plastic pollution, scientists in Norway are developing biodegradable fishing gear that naturally degrades without releasing harmful microplastics.

They aim to replace conventional synthetic ropes, nets, and lines – materials that can remain for centuries, entangling marine life and disrupting ecosystems.

Lost and discarded fishing gear, known as “ghost fishing gear,” is a major contributor to plastic pollution in the ocean. As these materials break down, they form microplastics contaminating marine food chains.

“Fishing gear remains in situ for a long time, and in practice, turns the ocean into a plastic landfill site,” said Christian Karl, researcher from SINTEF and polymer chemist leading the biodegradability testing for the D-Solve project.

Read the full article at the Global Seafood Alliance 

Microplastics found in many of Oregon’s most popular fish

January 10, 2025 — Microplastics — tiny synthetic particles shed from clothing, packaging and other sources — are prevalent in many of the fish species eaten in Oregon, per a new study.

Why it matters: Ingestion of microplastics has been linked to cardiovascular risks and other adverse health impacts.

Driving the news: Researchers at Portland State University looked to quantify how many microplastic particles were making their way into the edible tissues of commonly eaten fish in Oregon.

Read the full article at AXIOS

Microplastics prevalent in Kenai Peninsula waterways

February 8, 2024 — A study of Southcentral Alaska bodies of water found microplastics in 100% of locations tested, including sites on the Kenai Peninsula, according to a report released last month.

The Alaska Environment Research and Policy Center released the report on Jan. 25. AERPC State Director Dyani Chapman and University of Alaska Southeast Sea Grant Fellow Joi Gross, who conducted the study, found microplastics in 100% of their samples taken from all 39 Southcentral Alaska water bodies tested between June and September 2023.

“Alaska has international renown for its pristine environment and is relatively geographically isolated from other watersheds, so it’s especially disappointing to find microplastics in every sample we took,” Gross was quoted as saying in a Jan. 25 press release.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service as extremely small pieces of plastic debris measuring less than 5 millimeters in length that come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces.

According to Chapman and Gross’s report, a “large share” of the plastic debris present in the environment consists of pieces measuring less than 5 mm, or 0.2 inches.

The problem with plastic pollution is that it doesn’t simply break down or biodegrade like other types of waste that are animal- or plant-based.

“Neither bacteria nor fungi have much success breaking (plastics) down into their basic components,” the report states. “Over time, friction and heat will break the plastic into smaller and smaller pieces, but they’ll still be plastic and unable to nourish new life for a very long time.”

Microplastics have been found not only in the environment, but also in human and animal bodies, thus threatening both wildlife and public health. Toxic chemicals present in and attracted by plastics in the environment can bioaccumulate through the food chain, the report states. Microplastics mistaken as food by wildlife can lead to internal lacerations and digestive problems including starvation, according to the release. When microplastics are ingested by humans, they can cause cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive disorders.

Read the full article at Homer News

Research finds microplastics almost equally present in all protein types, including seafood

February 3, 2024 — There is a negligible difference between the amount of microplastics found in seafood and other types of protein, a new report has found.

The study, published in December 2023 and titled “Exposure of U.S. adults to microplastics from commonly consumed proteins” revealed that the number of microplastics per gram analyzed showed no significant difference between seafood, terrestrial meats, and plant-based proteins.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers introduce bill to ban most single-use plastics, with exception for seafood

November 9, 2023 — U.S. lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would ban most single-use plastic products and pause plastic production as part of a growing movement to tackle plastic pollution.

“Plastic pollution isn’t just a problem for our oceans and climate – it’s a massive environmental injustice,” U.S. Representative Jared Huffman said. “Communities are overburdened with plastics’ toxic air and water emissions and the false promises of so-called chemical recycling.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NGO uses shareholder-sponsored proposals to push ocean plastic commitments

July 15, 2021 — As You Sow, an NGO based in Oakland, California, U.S.A., is riding a wave of success from its tactic of borrowing the shares of activist investors to submit shareholder proposals aimed at securing greater corporate transparency and commitments on ocean plastic.

As You Sow focuses on changing corporate policy on topics like climate change or ocean plastics by engaging with shareholders, who in turn seek greater environmental commitments from the companies they are invested in. According to As You Sow Senior Vice President Conrad MacKerron, the tactic was slow to start at first, but has been gaining steam.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Picture of Chesapeake microplastics grows clearer

June 14, 2021 — Scientists have long suspected that the tiny plastic particles floating in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers — consumed by a growing number of aquatic species — are anything but harmless.

Now, studies by a regional workgroup are beginning to clarify the connections between the presence of microplastics and the harm they could be causing in the Bay region. This research, combined with international interest in microplastics, is setting the stage for more informed management decisions and a flurry of additional studies.

Globally, microplastics have been found in the air we breathe, the food we eat and in human organs — even in mothers’ placentas. It’s possible that humans are ingesting a credit card’s worth of microplastics every week. One of the ways people consume plastics is by eating seafood, though the tiny particles can also be swirling around in tap and bottled water. Assessing the risk of plastic consumption by humans is one important research goal.

In the Chesapeake Bay region, researchers also want to understand how microplastics could be impacting local ecosystems and aquatic species. A workgroup of the Chesapeake Bay Program, a state-federal partnership that leads the Bay restoration effort, identified microplastics in 2018 as a contaminant of mounting concern. A 2014 survey of four tidal tributaries to the Bay found microplastics in 59 out of 60 samples of various marine animals, with higher concentrations near urban areas. A Bay survey the next year found them in every sample collected.

Read the full story at The Bay Journal