Stranded humpback whale 'Johanna' had microplastics in her stomach
Monday, May 18, 2015 - 07:00
in Biology & Nature
In the humpback whale that stranded end of 2012 and was publically called Johanna, microplastics were found. It is the first time that microplastics were encountered in the intestinal tract of a baleen whale. Sixteen pieces of plastic were found by Ellen Besseling and colleagues from the department of Aquatic ecology and water quality management and research institute IMARES. De researchers cannot exclude that the whale had ingested more plastic, as part could be excreted during the days that Johanna laid stranded on the mudflat. Additionally, not the full intestinal tract was obtained for analysis.