The Effects of Combined Stress from pH and Microplastic-Derived Odours on the European Green Crab Carcinus maenas’s Olfactory Behaviour

Ocean acidification (OA) associated with climate change is expected to lower the ocean's pH by 0.5 units by 2100. Whilst associated effects such as coral bleaching and shell calcification are well documented, lesser-known impacts are the 'invisible' effects on animal sensory systems. Olfactory disruption impacts the behaviour towards chemical cues in many marine species, including crustaceans. We examine the effects of microplastic odour and additional stressors on the European green crab C. maenas. Using uridine diphosphate (UDP) and uridine triphosphate (UTP) as a sex pheromone bouquet, glutathione (GSH) as a food cue, and polyethylene (PE) as plastic odour, cues were mixed with carboxycellulose to create slow-release gels. Crabs were exposed to gels in seawater pH values of 8.2, 7.6, and 7.2. Crabs took longer to react to all odours in reduced pH conditions (pH 8.2 to pH 7.2, p = 0.0017). At a low pH, PE-exposed crabs exhibited attraction towards microplastic odour and changed behavioural responses by burying. The study confirms low pH as disruptive to olfaction and highlights that plastic derivatives can become more bioactive at reduced pH levels, potentially increasing the threat posed by microplastic pollution. Further research is required to determine the potential long-term impacts of the combined threat of microplastics and reduced pH in the environment.