8. Aims of study
• To quantify the number of microplastic particles in
fish caught in different regions in the Agulhas
current large marine ecosystem, including the
mesoscale eddy in the Bight and
• To determine whether there was a difference in
microplastic ingestion in fish caught in the
epipelagic and mesopelagic zones.
10. Results
Broken pieces of
larger plastic
items.
56 %
Round in shape
like beads for
necklace designs.
7,5 %
A slender thread-
like resembling
pieces of fishing
line.
29 %
Hair-like small
pieces of
plastic.
7,5 %
34 %
Microplastics were found in
14. Acknowledgements.
• African Coelacanth Ecosystem Program (ACEP),
• Thukela Bank Ecosystem Functioning Project
• National Research Foundation (NRF)
• C. Wilkinson and D. Hayes of the Oceanographic Research
Institute (ORI).
• Dr. AM De Lecea (UKZN).
• K Sorenson, owner and crew of the ‘Ocean Spray’, for
kindly making his trawler available.
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