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Concerns regarding plastic pollution, especially microplastics, have increased, as they can be present in different environmental compartments, including estuarine areas and saltmarshes. Although saltmarshes are highly vulnerable to different human activities and pressures, they have the ability to trap/retain contaminants in their vegetated sediments. However, there is still little information regarding the role of saltmarshes in microplastic retention. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the capability of an estuarine saltmarsh to trap microplastics by comparing microplastic concentrations in vegetated (saltmarsh) and non-vegetated sediments. Microplastic content from sediment (vegetated and non-vegetated) samples collected at different sampling sites in Lima River estuary was estimated using previously optimised extraction protocols, and the observed particles were then characterised accordingly to their size, colour, shape, and polymer (by FTIR). Water samples were also collected and analysed for their microplastics content to complement MPs characterisation within the estuarine area. Microplastics were detected in all sediment samples, with fibres being the most common type of microplastic found, followed by fragments/particles. Overall, vegetated sediments, especially those of saltmarsh species Juncus maritimus, presented a higher number of plastic items. These results indicated that microplastics tend to be trapped in vegetated sediments, supporting the fact that saltmarshes have a significant influence on the transport, distribution, and accumulation of MPs in estuarine areas.

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The northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula is an important spawning and nursery area for several marine fish species, some of which are economically exploited by fisheries and under management plans. Larval stages of fish are highly sensitive to environmental change and anthropogenic pressures, and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) can help mitigate the impacts on fish populations. This study investigated the environmental drivers of the temporal and spatial patterns of the larval fish assemblages inhabiting a small coastal MPA along the NW Portuguese Iberian Coast. Seasonal surveys were conducted over two years at nine sampling stations distributed throughout the MPA to collect larval fish samples and water parameters. Results showed that a total of 39 different fish taxa were identified. In terms of abundance, reef-associated species, such as Parablennius gattorugine (54.6%), and marine species that use estuaries as nursery areas, such as Ammodytes tobianus (15.7%) and Clupeidae n.i. (8.8%) dominated the larval fish assemblages. The larval fish assemblages were characterized by a strong temporal pattern that, according to CCA analyses, was related to the temporal variability of water temperature, pH, chlorophyll α, TPM, and also the river flow of an adjacent river. This study showed that 47% of the fish larvae belonged to commercially exploited species, highlighting the importance of this MPA as a nursery area for the early life stages of the fish population. Overall, these new findings emphasize the role of MPAs in ensuring the connectivity of fish species between marine-estuarine habitats and enhancing the conservation of fish populations.