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Comparing microplastic ingestion in two commercial crustacean species, Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Parapenaeus longirostris: a sympatric case study from Western Mediterranean Sea
Summary
Researchers compared microplastic ingestion between two sympatric deep-sea shrimp species, Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Parapenaeus longirostris, from the Western Mediterranean Sea, coupling stable isotope analysis with microplastic characterization to examine how trophic position influences plastic uptake. The study provided insights into how microplastic pollution interacts with trophic dynamics in commercially important crustacean species.
The escalating contamination of our seas with plastic poses a serious threat to marine organisms. Among the various concerns, the ingestion of microplastics emerges as a potential hazard for marine organisms at various trophic levels. In order to shed light on the interplay between microplastic pollution and trophic dynamics, the present study couples stable isotope analysis (SIA) with the analysis of ingested microplastics in two sympatric shrimp species: Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Parapenaeus longirostris. This two target species, are economically valuable species, commonly found on sandy-muddy bottoms in the Mediterranean Sea, and displays similar feeding preference targeting polychaetes, crustaceans, fish and molluscs. A total of 180 specimens have been collected in the same haul off Rome coast, Italy (Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Western Mediterranean Sea). SIA was carried out on the muscle tissue of 80 specimens to discern the trophic level and the relationship between the trophic niche of the species. Besides, the gastrointestinal tracts of 100 specimens were dissected and subjected to chemical digestion (15 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559593/document