Plastic ingestion and diet composition in two common fish species from the Swedish Skagerrak

Abstract: Plastic ingestion is supposed to be linked to the feeding behaviour of the fish. Anthropogenic particles were expected to be accidentally ingested by the common dab due to its feeding strategy, which is focused on ground-living organisms. In the whiting, marine debris was suggested to be ingested secondarily through the prey organisms as well as by accident. However, the drivers of plastic ingestion require further research and discussion. In order to understand the interaction between the diet and plastic ingestion, future research is advised to focus on the role of plastic in food web dynamics.