On the Occurrence of Plastic in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua (Gadidae) in the Coastal Zone of the Barents Sea

Abstract

Plastic is a common pollutant in aquatic environments and can be ingested by marine biota, including fish consumed by humans. 60% of the juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) studied from the coastal area of the Barents Sea near the village of Dalnie Zelentsy (Kola Peninsula, Murmansk Region) were found to have plastic particles ranging in size from 0.21 to 10.24 mm in their gastrointestinal tracts. A total of 23 specimens, caught in the same location during the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023, were analyzed. Despite the small sample sizes collected over the two years, they did not differ in the average number of plastic particles per specimen. The frequency of occurrence of plastic in the gastrointestinal tracts of the studied fish significantly exceeds the similar indicator described in the literature for representatives of the family Gadidae of the North Atlantic basin.