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Vertical transport of marine microplastics mediated by filter-feeding organisms
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Researchers used sediment traps to quantify how filter-feeding organisms — including sea squirts, Pacific oysters, scallops, and Manila clams — contribute to vertical microplastic transport in the water column, finding that MP-laden faeces and pseudofaeces from these organisms act as a biologically mediated pathway for sinking surface MP to the seafloor.
Microplastics, as an increasingly concerning environmental pollutant, transport from the surface waters to the seafloor after entering the ocean and can be buried in deeper sediments through bioturbation. However, the role of marine organisms in this vertical transport remains unclear. In this study, sediment traps were used to quantify the contribution of typical filter-feeding organisms, including sea squirts (Halocynthia roretzi), Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), scallops (Chlamys farreri), and Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum), to the vertical transport of microplastics in the water column. The results showed that microplastics were present in feces and pseudofeces of filter-feeding organisms and sank to form biodeposits, significantly enhancing the deposition of microplastics
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.