We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Fauna – Microplastics interactions: Empirical insights from benthos community exposure to marine plastic waste
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested how microplastics interact with bottom-dwelling marine communities in a controlled experiment using environmental concentrations of polyethylene fragments. They found that the plastic particles increased mortality in a common bivalve species after 30 days of exposure, while tube-dwelling worms were less affected. Interestingly, the burrowing activity of these animals quickly buried surface microplastics into deeper sediment layers, effectively trapping them but also exposing deep-dwelling organisms.
Microplastic deposition in soft marine sediments raises concerns on their role in sediment habitats and unknown effects on resident macrobenthic communities. To assess the reciprocal influence that MPs and macrobenthos might have on each other, we performed a mesocosm experiment with ambient concentrations of environmental Polyethylene (PE) and a non-manipulated, natural macrobenthic community from the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS). Our results show that PE fragments increase mortality of abundant bivalves (specifically Abra alba) after 30 days of exposure but not for the most abundant polychaete Owenia fusiformis, possibly due to its predominant suspension feeding behavior. Fast burial of surface MPs exposes deep-dwelling burrowers to the pollutant, however reducing the amount of MPs interacting with (sub) surface living fauna. We conclude that macrobenthos promotes the sequestration of deposited MPs, counteracting resuspension, and can have cascading effects on biodiversity due to their effect on abundant and functionally important species.
More Papers Like This
Changes in particle mixing by benthic infauna induced by microplastics: implications for nitrogen cycling in marine sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that increasing polypropylene microplastic concentrations impaired deep-burrowing behaviour of the marine worm Macroclymenella stewartensis but not the bivalve Macomona liliana, with microplastics also modifying interspecific relationships and thereby disrupting particle mixing and nutrient cycling processes in marine sediments.
Macrofauna bioturbation promotes seabed burial of microplastics: a laboratory study
AI summary Read the abstract
This laboratory study found that burrowing invertebrates such as polychaete worms and bivalves living in seafloor sediments can actively move microplastics deeper into the sediment through their feeding and burrowing activities. Animal-driven burial of microplastics in marine sediments could reduce their immediate ecological impact on surface communities but increases their long-term residence in the environment.
Environmentally relevant microplastic exposure affects sediment-dwelling bivalves
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed two species of sediment-dwelling bivalves to polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations and three size classes for four weeks. The study found species-specific responses including reduced body condition and altered burrowing behavior, suggesting that even at environmentally relevant concentrations, microplastics can affect the physiology and behavior of benthic bivalves.
Benthic fauna contribute to microplastic sequestration in coastal sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how burrowing seafloor organisms contribute to the burial of microplastics in coastal sediments. They found that benthic fauna actively transport microplastics from the sediment surface to deeper layers through their burrowing and feeding activities. The study suggests that biological processes play a significant role in sequestering microplastics within marine sediments, which has implications for understanding the long-term fate of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Response of sediment-dwelling bivalves to microplastics and its potential implications for benthic processes
AI summary Read the abstract
This microcosm study found that microplastics affect the feeding, burrowing, and bioirrigation behaviors of two sediment-dwelling bivalve species, with effects that could alter benthic nutrient cycling. Changes in bivalve behavior caused by microplastic exposure have broader implications for the ecosystem services these organisms provide in marine sediments.
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.