Ingestion of macroplastics by odontocetes of the Greek Seas: Often deadly!

Macroplastic (> 5 mm) were found in the stomachs of nine individuals
from four species of cetacean species (harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena, Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus, Cuvier’s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris and sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus) with the highest frequency of occurrence in sperm whales (60%). Gastric blockage from plastic was presumably lethal in three cases, with plastic bags being the most common finding (46%).

Alexiadou, P., Foskolos, I., Frantzis, A., 2019. Ingestion of macroplastics by odontocetes of the Greek Seas, Eastern Mediterranean: Often deadly! Mar. Pollut. Bull. 146, 67-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.055