Data for: Evidence of microplastics from benthic jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) in Florida estuaries

Here, we report the presence of microplastics in the benthic, upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) across three estuaries in Florida. Out of 115 specimens analyzed, 77% contained microplastics. Bell diameter and number of plastics per individual varied significantly across locations with the highest plastic densities and bell diameter observed in individuals from Big Pine Key, followed by Jupiter and Sarasota. Fourier-transform interferometer analysis confirmed that synthetic microfibers were the dominant microplastic measured at all three locations and may indicate Cassiopea as potential sinks of microplastic contamination. Cassiopea may be used as bioindicators of microplastic contamination in the future, allowing for potential plastic pollution mitigation.

本报告揭示了佛罗里达州三个河口区域底栖生物、倒挂水母（Cassiopea xamachana）体内微塑料的存在。在所分析的115个样本中，77%含有微塑料。样本的贝环直径以及每只水母体内的塑料数量在不同地点存在显著差异，其中Big Pine Key地区的塑料密度和贝环直径最高，紧随其后的是Jupiter和Sarasota地区。傅里叶变换干涉仪分析证实，合成微纤维是三个地点测定的主要微塑料，这或许表明Cassiopea可能成为微塑料污染的潜在汇聚点。Cassiopea未来可能被用作微塑料污染的生物指示剂，从而有助于塑料污染的潜在缓解。