Mimien Henie Irawati Al Muhdhar, I Wayan Sumberartha, Zainudin Hassan, Muhammad Shalahuddin Rahmansyah, M. Nasir Tamalene
Microplastics are pollutants, such as debris from human activities that contaminate several marine biotas and the environment. This research examined the occurrence of microplastic particles in the fish digestive tract in Ternate Island waters, Indonesia. The visual method carried out in the laboratory using a stereo microscope with a magnification of up to 40x was used to identify microplastics in the intestines and stomachs of fish. After observation, the pollutants were systematically counted in the range of 0.3-5 mm based on color, size, number, and shape. They were also classified into: 1) fragments, 2) films, 3) lines/fibers, 4) foams, and 5) pellets categories. Furthermore, six types of fishes including Epinephelus Fuscogutattus, Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus suillus, Siganus canaliculatus, Synanceia, and Scarus Psittacus were collected from four sites, Kasturian, Kampung Makasar, Mangga dua, and Kalumata between August and September 2019. The results showed 183, represented by 83.18%, of the 220 reef fish individuals studied have ingested plastics. Moreover, a total of 594 plastic particles were found in the digestive tract of which 47.81% were fragments, 38.22% films, 2.69% foams, 2.36% fibers, 7.41% line, and 1.52% of 1.8 to 5 mm sized pellets. The color distribution in all locations include 46.80% transparent, 32.15% black, 5.56% pink, 6.06% yellow, 5.22% blue, and 4.21% red. The findings of this study provide the first evidence of microplastic contamination in reef fishes of the Ternate Island waters littoral zone -Indonesia. © 2021. Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences. All Rights Reserved.
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Malang, Box 65139, Kota Malang JawaTimur, Indonesia; Faculty Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan, University Teknology Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Box 81310, Skudai, Malaysia; Sekolah Tinggi Teknik Industri Turen Malang, Box 65175, Turen Kabupaten Malang, Indonesia; Biology Universitas Khairun, Jl. Bandara Babullah Kampus 1 Akehuda Box 97728, Ternate, Indonesia
