What is going on down south? A mini review of plastic pollution on marine megafauna in the Humboldt Current System

Abstract

A literature review was conducted on plastic debris in megafauna of the Humboldt Current System, one of the most productive marine systems in the world that encompasses the marine-coastal zones of Peru and Chile. The information was obtained from Scopus and Google Scholar and included the analysis of macro, meso and microplastics that have been ingested or have caused entanglement in mammals, birds, turtles and fish. We found 32 publications in this regard, and plastic debris was detected in six species of mammals, 22 birds, two turtles, and two fish. Among them, five species that had interacted with plastic waste were identified as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Given the scarcity of research on plastic waste and megafauna in the southern hemisphere, it is essential to promote collaboration between specialized centers and to have the support of the public and private sectors to carry out adequate monitoring of the impact of plastic waste in the Humboldt Current System.