Microplastics found in 95% of sampled sea snakes along UAE’s Sharjah coast; study examined 6 species and identified 390 particles

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. 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. They detected microplastics in 60 of the 63 specimens, and fibres accounted for 96.9% of the 390 particles identified. The authors describe the research as the first published study of microplastic ingestion in sea 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. 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.Microplastics in sea snakes: how researchers examined 63 stranded animalsThe research team examined 63 sea snakes collected between the beginning of 2018 and the end of 2021 through Sharjah’s strandings-response programme. All the specimens included in the analysis were already dead when collected. The researchers examined their gastrointestinal tracts to identify and measure ingested microplastics. The sample comprised 6 species, although the numbers varied considerably between 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. 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).The specimens came from Sharjah’s coasts along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The sample included 39 snakes from the Arabian Gulf and 24 from the Gulf of Oman. The findings therefore describe the sampled animals from Sharjah, not sea snakes across either entire region.Nylon fibres and possible wastewater sourcesThe study reported that microplastics were present in 60 of the 63 snakes examined, equivalent to approximately 95% of the sample. The researchers identified 390 microplastic particles across the specimens. Fibres accounted for 96.9% of the particles identified, while fragments and films made up the remaining 3.1%. The polymer analysis identified nylon and polypropylene, with nylon accounting for 80% and polypropylene for 20% of the particles analysed. These proportions should not be interpreted as representing all microplastic particles recovered from the 63 snakes. These proportions should not be interpreted as representing all microplastic particles recovered from the 63 snakes.Because fibres predominated and nylon was identified, the authors suggested domestic laundry wastewater as a possible source of the microplastics. However, the study did not trace the particles to a specific discharge point or establish their origin. The proposed source should therefore be treated as a hypothesis rather than a confirmed explanation.Age and regional differences remain uncertainThe 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. Of the 39 specimens of this species, 34 came from the Arabian Gulf and 5 from the Gulf of Oman. Exposure was higher among younger snakes and among those from the Arabian Gulf, but neither pattern was statistically significant. The small number of Gulf of Oman specimens limits the conclusions that can be drawn from the regional comparison.What the findings establish, and what remains unknownThe findings have important 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. The uneven numbers of specimens across the 6 species also limit how far the findings can be generalised.Detecting microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts does not establish that ingestion caused illness or death. Further research involving larger samples and wider geographic coverage would help establish whether the observed age and regional patterns persist. Studies linking particles to potential pollution sources and investigating biological effects would also be needed to determine the broader implications for sea snakes. The central finding is that microplastics were detected in 60 of 63 stranded sea snakes representing 6 species along Sharjah’s coasts. The study identifies domestic laundry wastewater as a possible source, but the precise origin and effects of the particles remain unresolved.