Plastic ingestion by three species of Scylla (Brachyura) from the coastal areas of Thailand

Abstract

This study marked the first investigation into the presence of plastic particles in the stomachs of three mud crab species (Scylla olivacea, S. paramamosain and S. tranquebarica) collected across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. The highest number of plastic particles in the stomach of crab samples was polyethylene (PE) that contributed 88.5 %; while green was the predominant colour (60.3 %). Ingested particles recovered from the stomachs of crabs differed significantly between species and sites (p < 0.001). The average number of plastic particles per individual was 2.3 ± 8.6 in Scylla olivacea, 7.2 ± 16.9 in S. paramamosain, and 13.5 ± 48.9 in S. tranquebarica. Satun, revealed the highest number of plastic particles recovered from mud crabs, while the lowest number of plastic particles were from Pattani. To conclude, species of crab and site of collection plays a crucial factor in the propensity of plastic particles ingested by the genus Scylla mud crabs.

Keywords: Andaman Sea; Anthropogenic marine debris; Gulf of Thailand; Mud crab.