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The Mud Crab Buffet: Microplastics pollution in Scylla Serrata from Kota Mangroves
Summary
Researchers recovered 264 microplastic particles from the guts of mud crabs (Scylla serrata) collected from mangroves in Karnataka, India, averaging about 29 particles per crab, with polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, and polyester being the dominant plastics. A hazard index assessment rated the microplastic contamination as a severe risk to the crabs, underscoring the threat to mangrove ecosystems and the seafood that humans consume from them.
Scylla serrata is an important mud crab specie found in mangrove and estuarine habitats across the Indian and West Pacific coastal regions.These crabs are renowned for their nutritional richness and vitamin content making them a culinary delicacy.Notably, Scylla serrata exhibits remarkable adaptability to environments characterized by pronounced hydrological and biological variations which includes changes in salinity levels.Beyond their economic value, these crabs also serve as bioindicators of pollution helping us to assess the mangrove health.Realising this significance, we investigated the gastrointestinal tract of Scylla serrata from Kota mangroves in south-western Karnataka, India, to understand the extent of microplastic (MP) contamination.A total of 264 microplastic particles with a mean value of 29.33 MPs per individual were recovered from the gastrointestinal tract of mud crabs.The dominant categories were fibres (98.86%) and fragments (1.14%).These MPs primarily fell within the 0.1-0.3mm (50.90%) and 0.3-1 mm (37.65%) size ranges.The most prevalent polymers were polypropylene (33.71%), high-density polyethylene (31.44%), and polyethylene terephthalate (17.80%).Scanning electron microscopy revealed evidence of weathering on the microplastic surfaces in form of pits and cracks.Risk assessment studies such as polymer hazard index (PHI) underscored severe risks to S. serrata due to microplastic ingestion emphasizing the urgent need to safeguard delicate ecosystems like mangroves and associated biota.