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Microplastic pollution in the littoral environment: insights from the largest Mediterranean Sabellaria spinulosa (Annelida) reef and shoreface sediments
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in and around a rare Mediterranean bioconstruction reef — the largest Sabellaria spinulosa polychaete reef in the Mediterranean — along the southern Adriatic coast of Italy. The western side of the site had significantly higher microplastic levels, driven by coastal currents rather than the reef-building activity itself, with PET fibers as the dominant type. The findings reveal that polychaete reefs act as temporary microplastic traps, accumulating contamination in ways that could harm these fragile and ecologically important benthic habitats.
Littoral environments represent the main entry point for pollutants into the sea. Microplastics (MPs) are a growing concern, especially for the Mediterranean basin characterized by densely populated coasts and a semi-enclosed morphology. This article targets MPs associated with a unique coastal habitat - the largest bioconstruction in the Mediterranean (Torre Mileto, Southern Adriatic Sea) built by the reef-building polychaete Sabellaria spinulosa (anellida). We assessed MPs abundance in samples from both bioconstruction and surrounding sediments using stereomicroscopy with UV light and micro-Raman spectroscopy. MPs distribution was analyzed according to substrate (reef vs. sediment), longshore drift (west vs. east side), and reef morphology (hummock vs. platform). Results showed a significantly higher MPs abundance in samples from the western side of the site, potentially related to a longshore drift influence on pollutant distribution. By contrast, no significant differences in MPs abundances were observed in substrates (reefs vs. surrounding sediments) and in reef morphologies (hummock vs. platform), which suggest no direct control of reef-building activity in accumulating MPs. The passive accumulation of MPs, primarily driven by wave action, is likely the main factor explaining the MPs distribution. Micro-Raman Spectroscopy analysis revealed polyethylene terephthalate as the dominant polymer, and fibers as the most abundant morphology; prevalent MPs colors were colorless and black. Data provided here indicate that polychaete reefs temporarily trap MPs, retaining such pollutant in the littoral environment. The mechanism of MPs passive accumulation observed in this study raises questions about the growing risk for this bio-engineered benthic habitats.
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