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Cumulative effects of nylon microplastic fibres and warming temperature on the behavior and physiology of marine threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus )
Summary
Scientists found that fish exposed to both warmer water and nylon microplastic fibers (like those shed from fishing gear and synthetic clothing) ate less, showed signs of stress, and became less able to handle heat, effects that were worse than either stressor alone. This matters because these same microplastics are already turning up in seafood and drinking water, and as oceans warm due to climate change, fish populations we rely on for food may struggle even more to cope, potentially affecting both marine ecosystems and the fish that end up on our plates.
ABSTRACT Populations are exposed to multiple anthropogenic stressors simultaneously; however, the combined effects are poorly understood. Climate change is starkly impacting marine ecosystems and consequently fishes, with warming temperatures and increases in frequencies and durations of extreme climate events. Concurrently, plastics, such as nylon used in fishing industries, are contaminating marine waters at unprecedented levels, with detrimental effects on fishes. Here we studied the cumulative effects of warming and nylon microplastic fibres on the behavior and physiology of threespine stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) by exposing fish to conditions of 15°C and 20°C and nylon concentrations of 0, 1, 10, and 100 mg/g (mg nylon/g food) for 4 weeks. Feeding rates responded complexly to multiple stressors, as increasing concentrations of plastic reduced feeding rates, with warming having an antagonistic effect. Furthermore, we observed “coughing” behaviors in response to ingestion of microfibres and a unique reselection tendency of food items previously selected by conspecifics. Under warming conditions, critical thermal maximum (CT max ) increased; however, exposure to plastics led to reductions in CT max and thermal safety margins. Given these results, we anticipate reduced acclimation capacities, greater anxiety, and reductions in foraging efficiencies with increasing concentrations of plastic. Cumulatively, these stressors will yield greater energetic trade-offs and decreased accuracy in food selection with stark implications for marine ecosystem dynamics.