Scientists Find Plastic In Great White Shark Poop
Great white sharks have been reported to contain microplastic particles within their faeces by the non-profit organisation OCEARCH.
The study, which has been running since 2017, found microplastic particles in every white shark analysed. Microplastics can broadly be defined as plastics that are less than 5mm in diameter and can come in the form of fragments, beads or fibres.
Dr. Harley Newton, lead scientist and veterinary pathologist said “The concern is that we don’t know what kind of impact that really has on the animals or ourselves.”
These particles are probably passing up the food chain from the prey species of these sharks through a process known as bioaccumulation. A likely possibility is that fish are eating these particles, which are in-turn eaten by seals, which make up the majority of a white shark’s diet.
Looking at this research from a scientific perspective, there really are very few marine species now being analysed that don’t contain some evidence of microplastic contaminants within their bodies. Although the researchers have found microplastics in every individual, this totals only 17 white sharks, which is somewhat of a lower sample size than other microplastic studies that exist within the scientific literature.
While the jury is still out on what kind of impact these contaminants are having on marine species (including sharks), it is unlikely that they are being found in high enough concentrations to be causing population declines in white sharks off Nova-Scotia.
If these microplastics contain toxic pollutants attached to them, there may be the possibility of individual effects on certain sharks. Although at these current contamination levels, this undoubtedly falls under the category of an animal welfare issue, as opposed to having wide-ranging conservation concerns for great white sharks.
Plastic pollution is an issue for many marine species and sharks can be impacted via both microplastic ingestion and/or entanglement within larger plastic debris. However, the number of sharks killed by plastic pollution pales in comparison to the numbers of sharks killed every year through over-fishing and bycatch. It is vital to place this in perspective when identifying threats to sharks globally, in order to ensure we can use resources effectively to best benefit the conservation of this species.
Words Kristian Parton
Images Chris Ross
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