Microplastics in seawater and marine organisms: Site-specific variations over two-year study in Giglio Island (North Tyrrhenian Sea)

Geographical and temporal differences of microplastic occurrence were documented in water and fish collectedin 2017 and 2019 from the Giglio Island (North Tyrrhenian Sea) close to the area where the Costa Concordia sankin January 2012. Results on water samples showed a site-dependent difference, suggesting the role of surfacecurrent dynamics in the microplastic local distribution, while tested Neuston nets (200 ?m and 330 ?m meshsize) did not influence microplastic retention efficiency. Fish exhibited in 2019 a higher frequency of specimenspositive to microplastic ingestion with respect to 2017, with an occurrence higher than those typically observedin other Mediterranean areas. Both in water and fish, fragments were the dominating shape, polypropylene andpolyethylene were the prevalent polymers, without particular difference between sites and years. This studyhighlights the importance of applying microplastic investigation in biotic and abiotic matrices for an effectivemonitoring of this pollution in the marine environment.