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Seasonal and Trophic Dynamics of Microplastic Bioaccumulation in Copepods and Jellyfish of Matagorda Bay, Texas
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Scientists studying a Texas bay found that tiny plastic particles build up in small ocean creatures like copepods (a type of zooplankton) and jellyfish, with more plastic showing up after heavy rain washes runoff into the water. In lab tests, jellyfish exposed to microplastics actually shrank over time, suggesting these particles can harm marine life as they move up the food chain—raising concerns since these creatures are food for fish that eventually end up on our plates.
Microplastic (MP) bioaccumulation and biomagnification in marine food webs remains poorly understood, specifically trophic transfer from primary consumers to higher trophic levels. Although MP transfer has been studied in various organisms including fish, crustaceans, and gelatinous zooplankton, most existing research relies on short-term laboratory studies or simple field investigations lacking data on seasonal variations. This study fills that gap by tracking MP ingestion and transfer over time, across spatial gradients, and among developmental stages in Matagorda Bay, Texas. Field-collected samples of the copepod Acartia tonsa and the jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris were examined and laboratory exposures to assess MP body burden, survival, and morphological effects were conducted. Seasonal differences in MP concentrations and ingestion patterns were observed, with higher MP burdens correlating with rainfall and runoff. Laboratory exposures revealed increased MP accumulation in both copepods and jellyfish, along with a significant reduction in jellyfish bell diameter over time. The findings revealed notable trends in seasonal variation, species-specific MP uptake, and potential sublethal impacts on zooplankton and gelatinous predators. This study advances overall understanding of MP trophic dynamics in estuarine food webs and verifies the need for temporally resolved multi-trophic assessments. The findings contribute to and necessitate further long-term, multi-trophic monitoring to inform mitigation strategies for MP contamination in coastal ecosystems.
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Trophic transfer of microplastics from copepods to jellyfish was demonstrated in a marine food web study, showing that plastic particles move upward through the food chain via predator-prey interactions. The finding extends evidence of microplastic trophic transfer to gelatinous zooplankton, which are important links between copepods and higher trophic levels.
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Researchers studied tiny crustaceans called copepods in Tampa Bay, Florida, and found they regularly ingest microplastic fragments from the surrounding water. Over a two-year sampling period, an average of about 15 plastic particles were found per 1,000 copepods, mostly small fragments rather than fibers. Since copepods are a key food source for fish and other marine life, their intake of microplastics could transfer plastic contamination up the food chain.
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Researchers documented microplastic ingestion by three size classes of marine copepods — tiny crustaceans that form the base of ocean food webs — along the Indonesian Throughflow, one of the world's major ocean current systems. Fiber microplastics dominated ingested particles (87%), and seven polymer types were identified in copepod bodies. Because copepods are eaten by virtually everything in the ocean, their ingestion of microplastics creates a direct pathway for plastic particles and associated chemicals to move up the food chain toward fish and ultimately humans.
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This review examines how microplastics affect marine copepods, the tiny crustaceans that form a critical link in ocean food chains. Researchers found that copepods readily ingest microplastics, which can block their digestive tracts, reduce feeding, trigger immune responses, deplete energy reserves, and impair reproduction. The effects depend on the size, shape, and chemical properties of the plastic particles, and microplastics can also carry other toxic pollutants that amplify the harm.
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This review synthesizes available research on sources, effects, and trophic transfer of microplastics in jellyfish. Researchers found jellyfish readily ingest microplastics and could act as vectors transferring plastic particles up the food chain to predators.
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