Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

Presence of microplastics in macroinvertebrates of mangroves in the

Colombian Pacific: are feeding behaviors determinant for its abundance?

Maria Alejandra Ariza-Gallego1*; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2752-8772

Enrique Javier Peña-Salamanca1; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5135-6424

Martha Lucía Palacios-Peñaranda2; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8924-468X

Camilo Andrés Quesada-Mora1; https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1728-3211

Jaime Ricardo Cantera-Kintz1; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4010-298X

1. Grupo de Biología de Plantas y Microorganismos, Universidad del Valle; Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia; Calle 13 #

100-00, Edificio E20, Sección Botánica; maria.ariza@correounivalle.edu.co (*Correspondence),

enrique.pena@correounivalle.edu.co, camilo.quesada@correounivalle.edu.co, jaime.cantera@correounivalle.edu.co

2. Grupo de Estudios Ambientales para el Desarrollo Sostenible, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cali, Valle del

Cauca, Colombia; mlpalacios@uao.edu.co

Received 10-V-2024. Corrected 20-I-2025. Accepted 29-IV-2025.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: In mangroves, microplastics (MPs), (< 0.5 mm particles) penetrate deep into the sediments and

can cause adverse effects on the species that consume them by accident, affecting their development, nutrition,

and life quality in general. In Colombia, studies on plastic and microplastic pollution have been focused on the

Caribbean coast and its consumption by fishes, however, the Pacific has been scarcely documented.

Objective: To confirm the presence of MPs in mangrove organisms of two locations of Buenaventura Bay,

Colombia, to characterize them, and to estimate their effect on trophic groups.

Methods: Two species of cockles, Anadara similis and Anadara tuberculosa, and crab Goniopsis pulchra were

selected. MPs were extracted, counted, and classified according to shape and color.

Results: In total, 81 individuals were captured. We found MPs in 100 % of the organisms and transparent frag-

ments were the most abundant (56.40 %). An average of 25.54 ± 23.8 particles/individual was found, and no

differences were found between the cockles, but between each regarding G. pulchra.

Conclusion: The different feeding behaviors could explain these differences; more generalist species would ingest

a more significant amount of particles. This is the first approximation to studying MPs inside invertebrate organ-

isms in the Colombian Pacific.

Keywords: marine debris; filter feeders; cockles; Buenaventura Bay; mangrove crab.

RESUMEN

Presencia de microplásticos en macroinvertebrados en manglares del pacífico colombiano:

¿comportamientos alimenticios determinan su abundancia?

Introducción: En los manglares, los microplásticos (MPs), (partículas < 0.5 mm) penetran profundamente en

los sedimentos y pueden causar efectos adversos en las especies que los consumen accidentalmente, afectando su

desarrollo, nutrición y calidad de vida en general. En Colombia, los estudios sobre la contaminación por plásti-

cos y microplásticos se han centrado en la costa del Caribe y su consumo por parte de los peces, sin embargo, el

Pacífico ha sido escasamente documentado.

https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop..v73i1.57225

INVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY

2Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075 Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

INTRODUCTION

Marine litter, defined as “any persistent,

manufactured or processed solid material dis-

carded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine

and coastal environment” (Group of Experts on

the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental

Protection, 2019), has been identified as one

of the most significant problems for marine

ecosystems and a threat to biodiversity (Magh-

sodian et al., 2022). Plastic litter is of particular

concern due to its abundance and persistence in

the environment (United Nations Environment

Programme, 2021), it is present from the poles

to the equator and from the coast to the deep

sea (Secretariat of the Convention on Biologi-

cal Diversity, 2016). In recent decades, minute

fragments of plastic litter, called microplastics

(MPs), (particles < 0.5 mm; Group of Experts

on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environ-

mental Protection, 2019) have also been found

in oceans around the world as a ubiquitous

component of marine litter (Andrady, 2011).

These can be of primary origin (manufac-

tured to have a microscopic size) or secondary

(derived from the fragmentation of macroplas-

tic elements) (Wright et al., 2013).

Plastic litter is more evident on the coasts,

where it accumulates due to the action of cur-

rents, waves, winds, river drainages, and gar-

bage tossed directly on the beaches. Mangrove

forests are significantly different from other

coastal areas because they act as a trap and filter

for marine litter; large fragments get trapped at

forest margins, while smaller traces penetrate

deeper into the sediments (Group of Experts on

the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental

Protection, 2019).

Mangroves influence the carbon cycle at

the global scale (Kuwae et al., 2015), however,

this could be altered due to the effect of plastic

litter on plankton and primary production in

these ecosystems (United Nations Environment

Programme, 2021). According to recent stud-

ies, the presence of plastic could cause stress,

suffocation, and even the death of mangrove

roots (van Bijsterveldt et al., 2021), in addition

to this, its presence can lead to death or weak-

ening of fauna, reduction of quality of life and

reproductive performance and, malnutrition of

organisms that are susceptible to consuming

them by accident (Gregory, 2009). The risks

increase when talking about invertebrate ben-

thic organisms such as crustaceans, mussels,

and bivalves since, due to their feeding styles,

they are more likely to ingest MPs in mangrove

sediments (John et al., 2021).

Colombia, due to its location, coastal land-

forms, variety of climates, and different annual

precipitation rates, among other factors, can be

described as a unique country of global impor-

tance for the presence of mangrove ecosys-

tems (Blanco-Libreros & Álvarez-León, 2019).

Likewise, the heterogeneous landscapes that

surround the Colombian mangroves provide

biological corridors for native and migratory

Objetivo: Confirmar la presencia de MPs en organismos de manglares de dos localidades de la Bahía de

Buenaventura, Colombia, caracterizarlos y estimar su efecto sobre grupos tróficos.

Métodos: Se seleccionaron dos especies de berberechos, Anadara similis y Anadara tuberculosa, y el cangrejo

Goniopsis pulchra. Los MPs se extrajeron, contaron y clasificaron según su forma y color.

Resultados: En total, 81 individuos fueron capturados. Se encontraron MPs en el 100 % de los organismos y los

fragmentos transparentes fueron los más abundantes (56.40 %). Se encontró una media de 25.54 ± 23.8 partícu-

las/individuo y no se encontraron diferencias entre los berberechos, pero sí entre cada uno de ellos respecto a G.

pulchra.

Conclusión: Los diferentes comportamientos alimentarios podrían explicar estas diferencias, las especies más

generalistas ingerirían una cantidad más significativa de partículas. Esta es la primera aproximación al estudio de

MPs dentro de organismos invertebrados en el Pacífico colombiano.

Palabras clave: desechos marinos; filtradores; berberechos; bahía de Buenaventura; cangrejo de manglar.

Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

fauna, and strategic habitats for reproduction,

feeding, refuge, and transit. Mangrove forests

support the life of invertebrates such as poly-

chaetes, mollusks, arthropods, fish, reptiles,

amphibians, birds, and mammals (Rodríguez-

Rodríguez et al., 2018).

At a global level, most of the studies on

the impact of plastics and MPs on marine

organisms have focused on the entanglement

of marine mammals, and other species in

net fragment debris abandoned in the ben-

thos, plastic ingestion by birds and turtles is

also widely documented around the world

(Andrady, 2011). However, the ingestion of

MPs by invertebrates of gastronomic impor-

tance, such as shellfish, is of special concern,

since these are consumed whole and would be

a direct route for the consumption of MPs by

humans (Smith et al., 2018).

In Colombia, studies on pollution by

plastics and MPs have focused on the Carib-

bean coast (Acosta-Coley et al., 2019; Garcés-

Ordóñez, Espinosa et al., 2020; Garcés-Ordóñez

et al., 2019; Portz et al. al., 2020), in fish

(Garcés-Ordóñez et al., 2022; Garcés-Ordóñez,

Mejía-Esquivia et al., 2020; Ory et al., 2018)

and, in the impact on the tourism sector (Gar-

cés-Ordóñez, Espinosa-Díaz et al., 2020; Ran-

gel-Buitrago et al., 2018; Williams et al., 2016).

Taking into account that contamination

by MPs can generate immediate and long-

term impacts on the diversity of species in the

trophic chain, this research aimed to confirm

the presence of MPs in mangrove invertebrates

from two locations in the Colombian Pacific, to

characterize them, and estimate their effect on

trophic groups.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Study area: Buenaventura Bay is locat-

ed on the Central Pacific coast of Colombia

(between 3°44’ N & 3°56› N & 77°01’ W and

77°20’ W) (Gamboa-García et al., 2018). It is

home to mangrove forests dominated by Rhi-

zophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa, Avi-

cennia germinans, and Pelliciera rhizophorae

(Cantera & Blanco, 2001). Two mangrove zones

were chosen in this bay (Fig. 1), San Pedro (SP),

in the outer part of the Northern end of the bay,

(3°49’53.057’’ N & 77°15’17.817’’ W) which is

used for tourism purposes and is located close

to one of the most recognized hotels in the

area. And, Punta Soldado (PS), located on the

Southern outer edge of the bay (3°48’30.834’’

N & 77°10’37.002’’ W), close to the Colombian

National Army station.

Sample collection: The samplings in both

locations were carried out in March (M) 2022

and August (A) 2022 during low tides. Two spe-

cies of cockles, Anadara similis, and Anadara

tuberculosa, which are filter feeders, and a spe-

cies of crab, Goniopsis pulchra, which is a detri-

tivore and very abundant in these locations,

were selected as study organisms.

We performed manual captures in muddy

areas, among the mangrove roots. Handmade

traps made from plastic bottles and tuna as bait

were also used for crabs. The sacrifice of the

individuals was done by freezing, for this, they

were wrapped in foil and placed in clean, sealed

plastic bags. Crabs were stored in the freezer for

5 hours in covered containers, before wrapping

them in foil.

Cross-contamination avoidance: To avoid

contamination by external particles of MPs

in the laboratory, cotton gowns and nitrile

gloves, metal and glass instruments, and con-

tainers were used. Also, instruments were

washed with distilled water before starting the

extraction procedure.

Microplastic isolation and identification:

The isolation, identification, and character-

ization of MPs were performed according to

the methodologies mentioned in Lusher et al.

(2017) with some modifications. The organ-

isms were washed with distilled water, the

length and width of the shells and carapace

of the crabs were measured, and the weight

of the whole animal and the soft weight were

recorded. The individuals were opened with a

scalpel and all soft tissues were removed, each

tissue was weighed and placed in 250 ml glass

4Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075 Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

containers. Between 100 and 150 ml of 10 %

potassium hydroxide (KOH) was added to each

container, depending on the size of the animal,

the containers were sealed with foil, and the

samples were incubated in an oven at 75 °C for

5 hours.

The digested solution was filtered through

Whatman #1 paper (pore size: 11 μm), using

a vacuum pump. The filters were placed indi-

vidually into glass Petri dishes and a visual

identification of MPs was made in an optical

stereoscope. The MPs were counted, pho-

tographed, and classified according to their

shape (fibers, spheres, fragments) and color.

The maximum length of the particles was

also measured.

Data analysis: The percentage of indi-

viduals with MPs presence was determined, the

number of particles per individual (particles/

indiv) and the number of particles per soft

weight of the animal (particles/gram) were

recorded. Generalized Linear Models (GLM)

with a negative binomial distribution were used

to determine if these variables differ between

species, localities (SP, PS), and sampling

Fig. 1. Map of sites collection within Buenaventura Bay, Colombia. PS = Punta Soldado; SP = San Pedro.

Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

months (M, A). The analyzes were carried out

in the statistical program R v4.2.1 using the

arm, emmeans, and ggplot2 packages (R Core

Team, 2021).

RESULTS

In total, 81 individuals were captured. In

PS, 66 individuals were collected, and 15 in SP.

Table 1 shows the measurements and average

weights of each species in both locations.

MPs were found in 100 % of the organisms

and a total of 2 085 particles were counted.

Transparent fragments were the most abundant

(56.40 %), followed by blue fibers (19.3 %). The

rest of the types of MPs differentiated by color

and shape represent less than 10 % each (Fig. 2).

Red and blue fibers, and transparent fragments

were the largest types at around 2.8 mm in

length, with fragments measuring between 2.45

mm -0.063 mm, fibers between 2.83 mm -0.09

mm and the beads between 0.212 ± 0.094 mm.

On average for the total number of individu-

als, 25.54 ± 23.8 particles/indiv and 4.57 ± 4.1

particles/gram were found. The differences by

species in terms of particles/indiv and particles/

gram are listed in Table 2. An example of the

different MPs found is shown in Fig. 3.

Tabl e 1

Measures and average weights of organisms collected in mangroves from Punta Soldado and San Pedro, Buenaventura.

Species NWidth (cm) Lenght (cm) Total weight (g) Soft weight (g)

A. similis 25 3.74 ± 0.43 2.70 ± 0.53 12.71 ± 5.83 4.91 ± 2.11

A. tuberculosa 43 4.60 ± 1.12 3.36 ± 0.87 35.64 ± 39.90 11.68 ± 10.60

G. pulchra 13 2.99 ± 0.46 2.53 ± 0.34 11.26 ± 4.06 2.06 ± 0.83

Total 81 4.07 ± 1.06 3.03 ± 0.80 24.65 ± 31.42 8.05 ± 8.75

cm: Centimeters, g: Grams.

Fig. 2. Abundance and percentages of MPs types by color and form found in collected invertebrates of Punta Soldado and

San Pedro, Buenaventura.

Tabl e 2

Average number of MPs particles present on collected species from mangroves

of Punta Soldado and San Pedro, Buenaventura.

A. similis A. tuberculosa G. pulchra Total

Aver. particles/indiv 17.8 ± 12.98 35.39 ± 27.56 9.07 ± 37 25.74 ± 23.80

Aver. particles/gram 4.29 ± 4.09 4.65 ± 4.64 4.83 ± 2.26 4.57 ± 4.14

6Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075 Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

With the GLM it was found that the species

and the month (Fig. 4), but not the location,

had a significant effect in terms of the number

of particles/indiv. Between species, no differ-

ences were found between the cockles (p =

0.0546), but between each of them with respect

to G. pulchra (p = 0.0079 and p < .0001), species

with fewer amounts of MPs particles (Fig 5).

Regarding the measurements, only the soft

weight had a significant effect (p = 0.00315) the

higher the soft weight, the more MPs particles

(Fig. 4). No differences were found between the

species or the location in terms of the number

of particles/gram (Fig. 6), but in the month

Fig. 3. Microplastics found in organisms collected in mangroves of the Colombian Pacific. Photographs were taken with an

optical stereoscope at 4X. A-C. Transparent fragments, D. Red fragment, E. Transparent bead, F. Blue fragment, G-H. Blue

fiber, I. Red fiber.

Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

(p = 4.96e-07) being M the month in which

more particles/indiv and particles/gram was

recorded (Fig. 7).

DISCUSSION

This would be a first approximation to

the study of MPs inside invertebrate organ-

isms in the Colombian Pacific. Regarding the

sizes of the individuals collected, only 12 of

the A. tuberculosa had a size equal to or greater

than the minimum capture size established in

Colombia (5 cm) (Díaz et al., 2011).

The highest number of particles/indiv was

found in A. tuberculosa and, in general, frag-

ments were the most common type of MP.

These fragments were mostly transparent, with

a smooth surface, the largest (> 1mm) with the

appearance of a thin film (Fig. 3A), and the

smallest with a solid appearance, and irregular

edges. These findings differ from what has

been reported for the MPs present in the sedi-

ments of Buenaventura (Vásquez-Molano et

al., 2021), with what has been found in other

Anadara species such as A. antiquata in Tan-

zania (Mayoma et al., 2020) and A. granosa in

Indonesia (Fitri & Patria, 2019; Ukhrowi et al.,

2021) and Thailand (Goh et al., 2021) and for

other mangrove crab species such as Chiro-

mantes dehaani in China (Zhang et al., 2021)

and Metopograpsus quadridentata (Patria et al.,

2020) in Indonesia where the predominant type

of MPs were fibers. Most of the particles found

correspond to secondary and not primary MPs,

as is the case of the beads, which represented

only 5.3 % of the total particles (Fig. 2).

A high variety in the colors and shapes of

the MPs was found, which could mean a wide

range of sources of MPs (Group of Experts on

the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental

Fig. 4. Lineal regression between soft tissue weight of each

individual (g/indiv) and the number of particles/indiv.

Fig. 5. Average MPs particles found by species presented in

particles/indiv and particles/gram of soft weight.

Fig. 6. Average MPs particles found by location presented

in particles/indiv and particles/gram of soft weight. PS =

Punta Soldado; SP = San Pedro.

Fig. 7. Average MPs particles found by month presented

in particles/indiv and particles/gram of soft weight. M =

March; A = August.

8Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075 Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

Protection, 2019). However, to correctly iden-

tify the type and origin of the plastic present

in the samples, polymer verification analyses

should be carried out, which are usually expen-

sive, such as Fourier Transformed Infrared

Spectrometry (FT-IR); the Attenuated Total

Reflectance (ATR); Raman spectrometry for

color pigment spectra; or pyrolysis-gas chro-

matography combined with mass spectroscopy

(Pyr-GC-MS), techniques that analyze particles

using their thermal degradation properties

(Lusher et al., 2017).

The number of particles/indiv (Table 2)

varied greatly but turned out to be one order

of magnitude lower than what was found in A.

granosa (618.8 ± 121.4) (Ukhrowi et al., 2021)

(434 ± 97.05) (Fitri & Patria, 2019) (434 ±

97.05). It should be noted that the study of MPs

is a relatively new field and the lack of stan-

dardized methods is a recurring theme in their

research (Nunes et al., 2023), this lack of con-

sistency both in methods and in the use of units

to adopt, makes it difficult to compare studies

conducted by unrelated researchers and could

underestimate or overestimate the apparent

impact of MPs on a species or location (Lusher

et al., 2017). However, it has been found that, in

general, benthic species have higher MPs values

compared to pelagic species, which could be

related to direct contact with sediments, which

are considered MPs sinks (Nunes et al., 2023).

Due to the above, it would be expected to find

lower amounts of MPs in species that do not

inhabit the mangroves.

Regarding the differences between cock-

les and the crab (G. pulchra), they could be

explained by the different modes of feeding, less

selective species, such as cockles that are filter

feeders, ingest a greater amount of particles,

which agrees with what was described by, Not

et al. (2020), they found that the abundance

of MPs in stomachs of mangrove crabs was

related to its role in the trophic web and their

eating habits, the most generalist species being

those that present a greater abundance and

diversity of MPs.

The size of the MPs depends main-

ly on those feeding behaviors, the MPs are

transmitted directly or indirectly by consuming

prey contaminated with them. It is important

to mention that MPs could be expelled through

excretion or remain in the organism for a

long time (Maghsodian et al., 2022), which is

unknown in the species studied here. In this

case, the prevalence of MPs for the three species

was 100 %, which could indicate inadequate

management of wastes in seawater, wastewater

discharge, coastal tourism, and fishing in this

region. Precisely, Riascos et al. (2019) reported

the mangrove forests that surround the city

of Buenaventura as one of the most polluted

coastal areas in the world.

Speaking particularly of the cockles, these

are of great cultural and gastronomic impor-

tance for the Pacific region of Colombia. They

are traditionally exploited by Afro-descendant

communities settled in the vicinity of the man-

groves, being an important source of protein in

their diet and for their livelihood through their

commercialization (Díaz et al., 2011). The pres-

ence of MPs could pose a risk to the food secu-

rity of these communities since they are a threat

not only to the survival of the species but also

due to their ability to absorb organic pollutants.

In fact, precisely because their high capacity to

absorb MPs is well known, bivalves have been

frequently used as indicators of contamination

by MPs (Li et al., 2015).

This study represents the first contribution

to the characterization of microplastics with-

in invertebrate organisms in the Colombian

Pacific. The results indicate that the studied

organisms are consuming the plastic debris that

accumulates in the mangroves of Punta Sol-

dado and San Pedro, in Buenaventura Bay, since

all the individuals had particles inside. Statisti-

cal analyzes showed interspecific differences in

the number of MPs within the individuals, with

the most generalist species being the ones that

presented a greater number of particles, which

could be due to feeding habits. Studies such as

this allow for establishing the basis for design-

ing waste management plans in the region, with

species such as cockles as the main focus for

being an essential resource for the economy and

gastronomic culture in the Colombian Pacific.

Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

Ethical statement: The authors declare

that they all agree with this publication and

made significant contributions; that there is no

conflict of interest of any kind; and that we fol-

lowed all pertinent ethical and legal procedures

and requirements. All financial sources are fully

and clearly stated in the acknowledgments sec-

tion. A signed document has been filed in the

journal archives.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by the Min-

istry of Science and Technology of Colom-

bia, the Research Group in Biology of Plants

and Microorganisms of Universidad del Valle,

and by the Group of Environmental Studies

for Sustainable Development of Universidad

Autónoma de Occidente through the grant 852-

2019 call for programs connecting knowledge

2019. A special thanks to Paula Castañeda and

Anngye Moncada for their support in taking

images at the Universidad Autónoma de Occi-

dente, and to Alejandro Perlaza for his guidance

in statistical analysis.

REFERENCES

Acosta-Coley, I., Duran-Izquierdo, M., Rodriguez-Cavallo,

E., Mercado-Camargo, J., Mendez-Cuadro, D., & Oli-

vero-Verbel, J. (2019). Quantification of microplastics

along the Caribbean Coastline of Colombia: Pollution

profile and biological effects on Caenorhabditis ele-

gans. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 146, 574–583. https://

doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.06.084

Andrady, A. L. (2011). Microplastics in the marine envi-

ronment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 62(8), 1596–1605.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.05.030

Blanco-Libreros, J. F., & Álvarez-León, R. (2019). Man-

groves of Colombia revisited in an era of open

data, global changes, and socio-political transition:

Homage to Heliodoro Sánchez-Páez. Revista de la

Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y

Naturales, 43(166), 84–97. https://doi.org/10.18257/

raccefyn.780

Cantera, J. R., & Blanco, J. F. (2001). The estuary ecosystem of

Buenaventura Bay, Colombia. In U. Seeliger, & B. Kjer-

fve (Eds.), Coastal marine ecosystems of Latin America.

Ecological Studies (Vol. 144) (pp. 265–280). Springer.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04482-7_19

Díaz, J. M., Vieira, C. A., & Melo, G. J. (Eds.). (2011).

Diagnóstico de las principales pesquerías del Pacífico

colombiano. Fundación Marviva.

Fitri, S., & Patria, M. P. (2019). Microplastic contami-

nation on Anadara granosa Linnaeus 1758

in Pangkal Babu mangrove forest area, Tan-

jung Jabung Barat district, Jambi. Journal of Phy-

sics: Conference Series, 1282, 012109. https://doi.

org/10.1088/1742-6596/1282/1/012109

Gamboa-García, D. E., Duque, G., & Cogua, P. (2018).

Dinámica de la estructura y composición de

macroinvertebrados y su relación con las variables

ambientales en la bahía de Buenaventura. Bulletin of

Marine and Coastal Research, 47(1), 67–83. https://

doi.org/10.25268/bimc.invemar.2018.47.1.738

Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Castillo-Olaya, V. A., Granados-Bri-

ceño, A. F., Blandón-García, L. M., & Espinosa-Díaz,

L. F. (2019). Marine litter and microplastic pollu-

tion on mangrove soils of the Ciénaga Grande de

Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean. Marine Pollu-

tion Bulletin, 145, 455–462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

marpolbul.2019.06.058

Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Espinosa, L. F., Pereira-Cardoso,

R., Issa-Cardozo, B. B., & Meigikos dos Anjos, R.

(2020). Plastic litter pollution along sandy beaches

in the Caribbean and Pacific coast of Colombia.

Environmental Pollution, 267, 115495. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115495

Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Espinosa-Díaz, L. F., Pereira-Cardoso,

R., & Costa-Muniz, M. (2020). The impact of tou-

rism on marine litter pollution on Santa Marta

beaches, Colombian Caribbean. Marine Pollution

Bulletin, 160, 111558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

marpolbul.2020.111558

Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Mejía-Esquivia, K. A., Sierra-Labasti-

das, T., Patiño, A., Blandón, L. M., & Espinosa-Díaz,

L. F. (2020). Prevalence of microplastic contamination

in the digestive tract of fishes from mangrove ecosys-

tem in Cispata, Colombian Caribbean. Marine Pollu-

tion Bulletin, 154, 111085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

marpolbul.2020.111085

Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Saldarriaga-Vélez, J. F., Espinosa-Díaz,

L. F., Patiño, A. D., Cusba, J., Canals, M., Mejía-

Esquivia, K., Fragozo-Velásquez, L., Sáenz-Arias, S.,

Córdoba-Meza, T., & Thiel, M. (2022). Microplastic

pollution in water, sediments and commercial fish

species from Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta lagoon

complex, Colombian Caribbean. Science of the Total

Environment, 829, 154643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

scitotenv.2022.154643

Goh, P. B., Pradit, S., Towatana, P., Khokkiatiwong, S.,

Kongket, B., & Moh, J. H. Z. (2021). Microplastic

abundance in blood cockles and shrimps from fis-

hery market, Songkhla Province, Southern Thailand.

Sains Malaysiana, 50(10), 2899–2911. https://doi.

org/10.17576/JSM-2021-5010-05

10 Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075 Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

Gregory, M. R. (2009). Environmental implications of plas-

tic debris in marine settings-entanglement, ingestion,

smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien inva-

sions. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society

B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), 2013–2025. https://

doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0265

Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine

Environmental Protection. (2019). Guidelines or the

monitoring and assessment of plastic litter and micro-

plastics in the ocean. United Nations Environment

Programme.

John, J., Nandhini, A. R., Velayudhaperumal-Chellam, P., &

Sillanpää, M. (2021). Microplastics in mangroves and

coral reef ecosystems: A review. Environmental Che-

mistry Letters, 20, 397–416 https://doi.org/10.1007/

s10311-021-01326-4

Kuwae, T., Kanda, J., Kubo, A., Nakajima, F., Ogawa, H.,

Sohma, A., & Suzumura, M. (2015). Blue carbon

in human-dominated estuarine and shallow coastal

systems. Ambio, 45, 290–301. https://doi.org/10.1007/

s13280-015-0725-x

Li, J., Yang, D., Li, L., Jabeen, K., & Shi, H. (2015).

Microplastics in commercial bivalves from China.

Environmental Pollution, 207, 190–195. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.envpol.2015.09.018

Lusher, A. L., Welden, N. A., Sobral, P., & Cole, M. (2017).

Sampling, isolating and identifying microplastics

ingested by fish and invertebrates. Analytical Methods,

9, 1346–1360. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6ay02415g

Maghsodian, Z., Sanati, A. M., Tahmasebi, S., Shahriari, M.

H., & Ramavandi, B. (2022). Study of microplastics

pollution in sediments and organisms in mangro-

ve forests: A review. Environmental Research, 208,

112725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.112725

Mayoma, B. S., Sørensen, C., Shashoua, Y., & Khan, F. R.

(2020). Microplastics in beach sediments and cockles

(Anadara antiquata) along the Tanzanian coastli-

ne. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and

Toxicology, 105, 513–521. https://doi.org/10.1007/

s00128-020-02991-x

Not, C., Lui, C. Y. I., & Cannicci, S. (2020). Feeding beha-

vior is the main driver for microparticle intake in

mangrove crabs. Limnology and Oceanography Let-

ters, 5(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10143

Nunes, B. Z., Moreira, L. B., Xu, E. G., & Castro, Í. B. (2023).

A global snapshot of microplastic contamination in

sediments and biota of marine protected areas. Scien-

ce of the Total Environment, 865, 161293. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161293

Ory, N., Chagnon, C., Felix, F., Fernández, C., Ferreira, J.

L., Gallardo, C., Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Henostroza,

A., Laaz, E., Mizraji, R., Mojica, H., Murillo-Haro,

V., Ossa-Medina, L., Preciado, M., Sobral, P., Urbi-

na, M. A., & Thiel, M. (2018). Low prevalence of

microplastic contamination in planktivorous fish spe-

cies from the southeast Pacific Ocean. Marine Pollu-

tion Bulletin, 127, 211–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

marpolbul.2017.12.016

Patria, M. P., Santoso, C. A., & Tsabita, N. (2020). Micro-

plastic ingestion by periwinkle snail Littoraria scabra

and mangrove crab Metopograpsus quadridentata in

Pramuka Island, Jakarta Bay, Indonesia. Sains Malay-

siana, 49(9), 2151–2158. https://doi.org/10.17576/

jsm-2020-4909-13

Portz, L., Manzolli, R. P., Herrera, G. V., Garcia, L. L., Villate,

D. A., & Ivar-do Sul, J. A. (2020). Marine litter arrived:

Distribution and potential sources on an unpopulated

atoll in the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean

Sea. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 157, 111323. https://

doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111323

R Core Team. (2021). R: A language and environment

for statistical computing [Software]. R Foundation

for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://

www.R-project.org/.

Rangel-Buitrago, N., Williams, A., & Anfuso, G. (2018).

Killing the goose with the golden eggs: Litter effects

on scenic quality of the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 127, 22–38. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.023

Riascos, J. M., Valencia, N., Peña, E. J., & Cantera, J. R.

(2019). Inhabiting the technosphere: The encroach-

ment of anthropogenic marine litter in Neotropical

mangrove forests and its use as habitat by macro-

benthic biota. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 142, 559–

568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.010

Rodríguez-Rodríguez, J. A., Sierra-Correa, P. C., Gómez-

Cubillos, M. C., & Villanueva, L. V. L. (2018).

Mangroves of Colombia. In C. Finlayson, G. Mil-

ton, R. Prentice, & N. Davidson (Eds.), The wet-

land book (pp. 747–756). Springer. https://doi.

org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_280

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

(2016). Marine debris: Understanding, preventing and

mitigating the significant adverse impacts on marine

and coastal biodiversity. Secretariat of the Convention

on Biological Diversity.

Smith, M., Love, D. C., Rochman, C. M., & Neff, R. A.

(2018). Microplastics in seafood and the implications

for human health. Current Environmental Health

Reports, 5(3), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/

s40572-018-0206-z

Ukhrowi, H., Wardhana, W., & Mufti, P. (2021). Microplas-

tic abundance in blood cockle Anadara granosa (Lin-

naeus, 1758) at Lada Bay, Pandeglang, Banten. Journal

of Physics: Conference Series, 1725, 012053. https://doi.

org/10.1088/1742-6596/1725/1/012053

United Nations Environment Programme. (2021). From

pollution to solution: A global assessment of marine

Revista de Biología Tropical, ISSN: 2215-2075, Vol. 73: e57225, enero-diciembre 2025 (Publicado May. 13, 2025)

litter and plastic pollution. United Nations Environ-

ment Programme.

van Bijsterveldt, C. E. J., van Wesenbeeck, B. K., Ramad-

hani, S., Raven, O. V., van Gool, F. E., Pribadi, R., &

Bouma, T. J. (2021). Does plastic waste kill mangro-

ves? A field experiment to assess the impact of macro

plastics on mangrove growth, stress response and sur-

vival. Science of the Total Environment, 756, 143826.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143826

Vásquez-Molano, D., Molina, A., & Duque, G. (2021).

Spatial distribution and increase of microplastics over

time in sediments of Buenaventura Bay, Colombian

Pacific. Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas y Cos-

teras, 50(1), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.25268/bimc.

invemar.2021.50.1.1021

Williams, A. T., Rangel-Buitrago, N. G., Anfuso, G., Cer-

vantes, O., & Botero, C. M. (2016). Litter impacts

on scenery and tourism on the Colombian north

Caribbean coast. Tourism Management, 55, 209–224.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.02.008

Wright, S. L., Thompson, R. C., & Galloway, T. S. (2013).

The physical impacts of microplastics on marine orga-

nisms: A review. Environmental Pollution, 178, 483–

492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2013.02.031

Zhang, S., Sun, Y., Liu, B., & Li, R. (2021). Full size micro-

plastics in crab and fish collected from the mangrove

wetland of Beibu Gulf: Evidences from Raman Twee-

zers (1-20 μm) and spectroscopy (20-5 000 μm). The

Science of the Total Environment, 759, 143504. https://

doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143504