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Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in the seagrass ecosystem of Sri Lanka (Indian Ocean)
Summary
Researchers found tiny plastic bits (mostly from things like plastic bags and bottles) in seagrass, water, sediment, and sea cucumbers along Sri Lanka's coast — and sea cucumbers had eaten a lot of it. This matters because seagrass beds are important nurseries for fish and seafood we eat, so plastic contamination here could work its way up the food chain and eventually onto our plates.
Seagrasses are essential blue carbon ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by the accumulation of emerging global pollutants, such as microplastics (MPs). However, in regions like Sri Lanka, MP contamination within seagrass beds remains critically understudied. This study investigated MP abundance in seagrass blades (Thalassia hemprichii), sediments, surface water, and sea cucumbers (Holothuria atra) and characteristics of isolated MPs from six selected sites along the Southern and Eastern coastlines of Sri Lanka (Indian Ocean). The average abundances of MPs in seagrass blades, Holothuria atra, surface water, vegetated sediments, and non-vegetated sediments were 1.59 ± 0.11 items/blade, 177.19 ± 53.28 items/kg, 9.60 ± 0.97 items/m3, 69.72 ± 8.38 items/kg, and 33.61 ± 2.15 items/kg, respectively. In this study, fibers were the most prevalent morphological type of MPs, while blue was the most dominant color. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the predominant presence of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in all types of samples, followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polyamide or commonly known as nylon (PA) in variable amounts. A strong positive correlation between MPs on seagrass blades and those in sediments and surface water suggests that MPs from both water column and seabed contribute to their accumulation on seagrass. Furthermore, the ingestion of MPs by sea cucumbers indicates the potential for fragmentation and trophic transfer within the seagrass ecosystem, enabling MPs to enter and move through the marine food chain.