We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Modeling the Vertical Transport of Copepod Fecal Particles under Nano/Microplastic Exposure
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how nano- and microplastics affect the fecal pellets produced by tiny marine copepods, which play a crucial role in transporting carbon from the ocean surface to deeper waters. They found that plastic particles reduced both the size and production rate of fecal pellets, and a fluid dynamics model showed this would slow their sinking speed and reduce vertical carbon transport. The study suggests that widespread microplastic pollution could interfere with the ocean's ability to sequester carbon.
Nano- and microplastics (NMPs) may significantly impact the marine carbon cycle, and fecal pellets produced by the copepods are crucial for vertical carbon transport. In this study, we investigated the effects of NMP size, concentration, and diatom supply on the production and settling of fecal pellets by the marine copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris. By employing an aggregation-induced emission fluorescence imaging technique, we visualized the distribution of NMPs in fecal pellets, measured their size and production rate, and developed a fluid dynamic model to simulate the settling process of fecal pellets in the water column. Our results indicated that NPs and MPs exhibited uniform and nonuniform distributions in the produced fecal materials, respectively. NMPs reduced both the size and integrity of copepod fecal pellets. Copepods ingested MPs in the absence of diatoms, but exposure to 5000 μg/L of NMPs decreased the fecal pellet production by 52% in the presence of diatoms due to feeding selectivity. The sinking rates of fecal pellets of varying sizes, as obtained from modeling simulations, ranged from 10.9 to 103.1 m/day. When the proportion of participating polystyrene (PS) reached 50%, the sinking velocity decreased by 34%. Our study provides new insights into the vertical transport of copepod fecal pellets under NMP pollution.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics Alter the Properties and Sinking Rates of Zooplankton Faecal Pellets
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that when zooplankton ingest microplastics, the plastic particles become embedded in their fecal pellets, making those pellets smaller, less dense, and slower to sink. Since these pellets normally help transport carbon from the ocean surface to the deep sea as part of the biological pump, altered sinking rates could disrupt this important carbon cycle process. The study reveals a previously unrecognized way that microplastic pollution could affect ocean chemistry and climate regulation.
Consumption Of Microplastics Impacts The Growth And Fecal Properties Of The Marine Copepod, Acartia Tonsa
AI summary Read the abstract
Lab experiments found that marine copepods (Acartia tonsa) fed polystyrene microplastic beads showed reduced growth and produced smaller, less carbon-rich fecal pellets compared to controls. This is significant because copepod fecal pellets are an important mechanism for transporting carbon from the ocean surface to the deep sea, suggesting microplastics could disrupt marine carbon cycling.
Functional study of the ingestion and excretion of microplastics by marine coastal copepods
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how marine coastal copepods ingest and excrete microplastics and assessed their role as vectors for plastic dispersal in the water column. Copepods readily ingested microplastics, retained particles for variable periods depending on size and feeding rate, and excreted aggregated fecal pellets that could redistribute plastics vertically in the ocean.
Regionally disparate ecological responses to microplastic slowing of faecal pellets yields coherent carbon cycle response
AI summary Read the abstract
This study modeled how microplastics slow the sinking of zooplankton fecal pellets and found that, despite regional variation in the ecological response, the net effect on the ocean carbon pump is a coherent reduction in carbon export to the deep ocean across different ocean regions.
Microplastics alter feeding selectivity and faecal density in the copepod, Calanus helgolandicus
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how microplastic ingestion affects feeding selectivity and fecal pellet density in the copepod Calanus helgolandicus. They found that exposure to microplastics altered the copepod's prey selection depending on particle size and shape, and also reduced the density of their fecal pellets. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could disrupt both the feeding behavior of key zooplankton species and the ocean's biological carbon pump by changing how fecal matter sinks.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.