The Universal Scholar Journal

Abstract

The Malabar Coast, spanning the tropical, monsoon-influenced shoreline of Kerala and adjoining parts of Karnataka on the south-western seaboard of India, supports one of the country's most productive artisanal and commercial fisheries as well as ecologically sensitive estuaries, backwaters, and mangrove-fringed wetlands. Over the past decade, a growing body of regional research has documented the widespread occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in the coastal waters, sediments, and biota of this region, raising concern over their ecological and food-safety implications. This review synthesises published field and laboratory evidence on microplastic contamination along the Malabar Coast and adjoining southwest coast of India, with particular attention to its presence and effects in commercially and ecologically important marine fauna, including finfish, bivalve molluscs, and other invertebrates. Reported polymer types are dominated by polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, and polyamide, occurring predominantly as fibres and fragments in gastrointestinal tracts, gill tissue, and, in some cases, edible musculature. Drawing on the wider global toxicological literature, the review outlines the principal mechanisms of harm, namely physical injury and gut blockage, oxidative stress, immune and endocrine disruption, reduced feeding and energy budgets, and the vector effect by which microplastics adsorb and transport persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals into tissues. The review further considers the implications for coastal fisheries, food safety, and human exposure, before identifying critical gaps in region-specific ecotoxicological data, standardised sampling protocols, and long-term monitoring along the Malabar Coast. The article concludes with recommendations for coordinated regional monitoring, source-reduction policy, and community-based mitigation measures suited to Kerala's densely populated, fishery-dependent coastline.

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Impact of Microplastic Pollution on Marine Fauna of the Malabar Coast: A Review of Current Evidence, Ecological Risks, and Research Directions