Correction: Gbm.auto: A software tool to simplify spatial modelling and Marine Protected Area planning.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Gbm.auto: A software tool to simplify spatial modelling and Marine Protected Area planning.

Boosted Regression Trees. Excellent For Data-poor Spatial Management But Hard To Use: Marine resource managers and scientists often advocate spatial approaches to manage data-poor species. Existing spatial prediction and management techniques are either insufficiently robust, struggle with sparse input data, or make suboptimal use of multiple explanatory variables.

Microplastic abundance, distribution and composition along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Ocean.

Microplastics in the world's oceans are a global concern due to the potential threat they pose to marine organisms. This study investigated microplastic abundance, distribution and composition in the Atlantic Ocean on a transect from the Bay of Biscay to Cape Town, South Africa. Microplastics were sampled from sub-surface waters using the underway system of the RV Polarstern.

Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: Effects of Treatment.

Waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) are receptors for the cumulative loading of microplastics (MPs) derived from industry, landfill, domestic wastewater and stormwater. The partitioning of MPs through the settlement processes of wastewater treatment results in the majority becoming entrained in the sewage sludge. This study characterized MPs in sludge samples from seven WWTPs in Ireland which use anaerobic digestion (AD), thermal drying (TD), or lime stabilization (LS) treatment processes.

Microplastics in Arctic polar waters: the first reported values of particles in surface and sub-surface samples.

Plastic, as a form of marine litter, is found in varying quantities and sizes around the globe from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Identifying patterns of microplastic distribution will benefit an understanding of the scale of their potential effect on the environment and organisms. As sea ice extent is reducing in the Arctic, heightened shipping and fishing activity may increase marine pollution in the area.

Microplastic and macroplastic ingestion by a deep diving, oceanic cetacean: the True's beaked whale Mesoplodon mirus.

When mammals strand, they present a unique opportunity to obtain insights into their ecology. In May 2013, three True's beaked whales (two adult females and a female calf) stranded on the north and west coasts of Ireland and the contents of their stomachs and intestines were analysed for anthropogenic debris. A method for identifying microplastics ingested by larger marine organisms was developed.

Microplastic pollution in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean: validated and opportunistic sampling.

Levels of marine debris, including microplastics, are largely un-documented in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. Broad scale monitoring efforts are required to understand the distribution, abundance and ecological implications of microplastic pollution. A method of continuous sampling was developed to be conducted in conjunction with a wide range of vessel operations to maximise vessel time.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) in cartilaginous and bony fish tissues.

Tissues from a range of fish were examined for the presence of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) to investigate PTHrP protein distribution and PTHrP gene expression in jawless fish, cartilaginous fish, and bony fish. Immunoreactive PTHrP was localized using antisera to N-terminal and mid-molecule regions of human PTHrP and PTHrP gene expression examined using a digoxigenin labeled riboprobe to a conserved region of the mammalian PTHrP gene. In all of the fish studied, PTHrP protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) were localized to the skin, kidney, and skeletal muscle, following the pattern seen in higher vertebrates.