Microplastics have been detected in nearly all the stranded sea snakes examined in a study covering the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coasts of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
asserted
Microplastics → detect → Sharjah
In
Microplastic ingestion in sea snakes: Examining age-related exposure and regional differences, published online on 21 November 2025 in the Journal of Hazardous Materials: Plastics, researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of 63 dead, stranded snakes belonging to 6 species.
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researchers → examine → species
They detected microplastics in 60 of the 63 specimens, and fibres accounted for 96.9% of the 390 particles identified.
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fibres → detect → particles
The authors describe the research as the first published study of microplastic ingestion in sea snakes.
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authors → describe → snakes
Although the findings establish that the sampled animals had ingested microplastics, they do not establish whether the particles harmed the snakes or identify the precise source of the contamination.
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particles → establish → contamination
Future studies tracing the particles to their sources and testing for biological effects could reveal whether microplastic ingestion actually threatens sea snake health, and whether limiting laundry wastewater pollution might reduce exposure along the Gulf coasts.
uncertain
limiting → trace → coasts
Microplastics in sea snakes: how researchers examined 63 stranded animals
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researchers → examine → animals
The research team examined 63 sea snakes collected between the beginning of 2018 and the end of 2021 through Sharjah’s strandings-response programme.
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team → examine → programme
All the specimens included in the analysis were already dead when collected.
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specimens → include → analysis
The researchers examined their gastrointestinal tracts to identify and measure ingested microplastics.
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researchers → examine → microplastics
The sample comprised 6 species, although the numbers varied considerably between them.
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numbers → comprise → them
The Arabian Gulf coral reef sea snake (Hydrophis lapemoides) accounted for 39 specimens, while the yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus) accounted for 14.
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snake → account → 14
The remaining animals comprised 4 yellow sea snakes (Hydrophis spiralis), 3 ornate sea snakes (Hydrophis ornatus), 2 annulated sea snakes (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) and 1 spine-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis curtus).
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animals → remain → snakes
The specimens came from Sharjah’s coasts along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
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specimens → come → Oman
The sample included 39 snakes from the Arabian Gulf and 24 from the Gulf of Oman.
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sample → include → Oman
The findings therefore describe the sampled animals from Sharjah, not sea snakes across either entire region.
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findings → describe → region
The study reported that microplastics were present in 60 of the 63 snakes examined, equivalent to approximately 95% of the sample.
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microplastics → report → sample
The researchers identified 390 microplastic particles across the specimens.
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researchers → identify → specimens
Fibres accounted for 96.9% of the particles identified, while fragments and films made up the remaining 3.1%.
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fragments → account → %
The polymer analysis identified nylon and polypropylene, with nylon accounting for 80% and polypropylene for 20% of the particles analysed.
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nylon → identify → particles
These proportions should not be interpreted as representing all microplastic particles recovered from the 63 snakes.
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proportions → interpret → snakes
These proportions should not be interpreted as representing all microplastic particles recovered from the 63 snakes.
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proportions → interpret → snakes
Because fibres predominated and nylon was identified, the authors suggested domestic laundry wastewater as a possible source of the microplastics.
uncertain
authors → predominate → microplastics
However, the study did not trace the particles to a specific discharge point or establish their origin.
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study → trace → origin
The proposed source should therefore be treated as a hypothesis rather than a confirmed explanation.
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source → propose → hypothesis
Age and regional differences remain uncertain
The researchers examined age-related and regional differences in microplastic ingestion within the Arabian Gulf coral reef sea snake (Hydrophis lapemoides), rather than across all 63 snakes in the study.
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researchers → remain → study
Of the 39 specimens of this species, 34 came from the Arabian Gulf and 5 from the Gulf of Oman.
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34 → come → Oman
The small number of Gulf of Oman specimens limits the conclusions that can be drawn from the regional comparison.
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that → limit → comparison
What the findings establish, and what remains unknown
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what → establish → What
The findings have important limitations.
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findings → have → limitations
The sample consisted of stranded animals rather than a random sample of the wider living sea-snake population, and the study was geographically restricted to Sharjah.
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study → consist → Sharjah
The uneven numbers of specimens across the 6 species also limit how far the findings can be generalised.
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findings → limit → species
Detecting microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts does not establish that ingestion caused illness or death.
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ingestion → detect → illness
Further research involving larger samples and wider geographic coverage would help establish whether the observed age and regional patterns persist.
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age → involve → samples
Studies linking particles to potential pollution sources and investigating biological effects would also be needed to determine the broader implications for sea snakes.
asserted
Studies → link → snakes
The central finding is that microplastics were detected in 60 of 63 stranded sea snakes representing 6 species along Sharjah’s coasts.
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microplastics → detect → coasts
The study identifies domestic laundry wastewater as a possible source, but the precise origin and effects of the particles remain unresolved.
asserted
origin → identify → particles
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