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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Short-term microplastic effects on marine meiofauna abundance, diversity and community composition

PeerJ 2024 6 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Flavia Juliana Lobato de França, Tom Moens, Renan B. da Silva, Giovanna L. Pessoa, Débora A.A. França, Giovanni dos Santos

Summary

Researchers examined short-term effects of microplastics on marine meiofauna, measuring changes in abundance, species diversity, and community composition after plastic addition, finding dose-dependent disruption to these ecologically important small invertebrates.

Study Type Environmental

At the highest MP concentration, abundance, taxonomic diversity and community structure of a beach meiofauna community were not significantly affected, suggesting that MP effects on meiofauna are at most subtle. However, lower MP concentrations did cause substantial declines in abundance and diversity, in line with previous studies at the population and community level. While we can only speculate on the underlying mechanism(s) of this counterintuitive response, results suggest that further research is needed to better understand MP effects on marine benthic communities.

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