Em um mundo em constante e acelerada transformação, pervasivos impactos antrópicos deslocam diversos parâmetros ambientais para fora dos limites registrados no Holoceno. Ao lado das mudanças climáticas e da perda da biodiversidade, destaca-se como uma das ameaças antrópicas mais pervasivas a poluição por plástico. Entitulado “Poluição por Plástico no Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo: Estabelecendo Linhas de Base, Avaliando a Evolução da Contaminação e Integrando Estratégias de Mitigação para a Amazônia Azul”, o projeto adota uma abordagem abrangente e integrada para estabelecer linhas de base sólidas e detalhadas da poluição por plástico no Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo (ASPSP). As linhas de base são valores de referência fundamentais, que servem como marcos iniciais bem definidos a partir dos quais se pode avaliar a evolução do problema ao longo do tempo. Sem uma linha de base robusta, qualquer tentativa de monitorar pode ser ineficaz. Nosso foco é também investigar o fluxo do plástico ao longo da teia trófica, avaliando como esses poluentes se movem e se acumulam em diferentes níveis tróficos, uma pergunta ainda em aberto na ciência. Ao integrar as descobertas ecológicas com estratégias de mitigação e alinhá-las com as necessidades e desafios das políticas globais, buscamos exercer um impacto profundo nos esforços internacionais para combater a poluição por plástico, especialmente em ecossistemas sensíveis como o ASPSP, onde a biodiversidade única e o isolamento geográfico amplificam os efeitos de qualquer forma de poluição.

Plastic pollution is circulating in all of the Earth's systems. However, most studies focus on coastal ecosystems, leaving a large knowledge gap in terrestrial ecosystems. Our aim in this project is to understand plastic pollution in remote areas of the Amazon rainforest by assessing how plastic flows through the trophic webs of the floodplain lakes of the Juruá River. We will address plastic pollution from its accumulation in the environment to ingestion by top predators, which represent the basis of the local economy and livelihoods of indigenous peoples. To understand the pathways that plastic follows in the food web, we will combine stable isotope analysis with an assessment of plastic ingestion. We will also assess community perceptions of plastic pollution and the historical processes that led to the introduction of plastic in the region. We also intend to introduce the problem of plastic into the circular economy efforts already underway in the region.

This project (a Decade Action) is a part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 attached to No. 1 90. Sustainability of Marine Ecosystems through global knowledge networks (SmartNet). This project has representatives from 14 different countries and groups including ICES, PICES, AMAP MAP, GESAMP, UNEP. It is a project lead by Matthew Savoca (Stanford University – USA) and Co-lead by Robson G Santos (UFAL – Brazil), Maria Cristina Fossi (University of Siena – Italy), Britta Denise Hardesty (Commonwealth Scientific Research Organisation – Australia), and Miquel Canals (University of Barcelona – Spain). We will create an interface where new records can be easily added to this database. We aim to support the development, coordination, and user interface for a database/web portal, which may include creating our own or adding to an interface that already exists (e.g., LitterBase) Focusing on species that ingest meso- and microplastics (synthetic or semi-synthetic particles 0.1-25mm in length) including fibers, we will apply a standardized rubric to identify a “global top ten” species/genera to recommend for long-term plastic monitoring. These species will be our Global Plastic Ingestion Bioindicators (GPIB). Further, we will promote existing methods and/or develop methods for each selected bioindicator to outline: 1) How to acquire the samples (e.g., sample size needed, time of year to collect), 2) How to process the samples, 3) How to quantify findings, and 4) A standardized reporting framework.

Despite the large number of studies dedicated to assessing plastic ingestion by fauna, most of them are descriptive and little progress has been made in understanding the factors related to the flow of plastic in trophic webs. A holistic ecosystem view of this problem is essential if we are to understand the factors linked to plastic ingestion and its flow between environmental compartments and transfer in the trophic web. In this context, this project aims to understand how plastic flows in a reef ecosystem, from its accumulation in the environment to its entry into the trophic web and flow through different trophic levels. The aim is to identify the points of entry and flow of plastic in the trophic web, investigating how the ecological characteristics of the species and the characteristics of the different types of plastic interact and influence the chance of ingestion of this material.