We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Variability of prey preferences and uptake of anthropogenic particles by juvenile white seabream in a coastal lagoon nursery ground
Summary
Researchers examined prey preferences and anthropogenic particle uptake in juvenile white seabream using a coastal lagoon nursery ground, finding that these early life history stages in transitional marine ecosystems are exposed to marine plastic litter of land-based origin alongside natural prey.
Abstract Marine plastic litter, originating from land-based sources, enters the marine environment by passing through coastal ecosystems such as lagoons and estuaries. As early life history stages (ELHS) of many commercially important fish species rely on these transitional areas as nursery grounds, we hypothesized that they encounter a spatial gradient of habitat quality and pollution from inner to outer parts of their vital environment. With sizes < 5 mm, anthropogenic particles (AP), among them microplastic (MP) fibers and fragments, entail a high bioavailability for ELHS of fish, potentially facilitating AP uptake at early developmental stages which may have implications for their survival and growth. This study provides a contextualization baseline between feeding preferences and uptake of AP by the white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) in an estuarine nursery ground on the southern coast of Portugal. Juvenile fish showed a generalized, omnivorous feeding mode with differences in trophic resource utilization between individuals collected at distinct seagrass meadows in the lagoon. A total of 23.13% of the fish ( n = 147) were detected with AP in the gastrointestinal tract, and the mean number of AP per AP-feeding individual was 1.64 ± 1.04, with anthropogenic fibers ( n = 47) occurring more frequently than fragments ( n = 9). Knowledge of the underlying factors for MP ingestion will be greatly enhanced by considering environmental conditions along with species-stage and life-stage specific feeding modes and prey preferences which shape the uptake probability of anthropogenic fibers and fragments.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Only a matter of taste? Explanatory variables for microplastic ingestion by juvenile seabream
Researchers studied explanatory variables for microplastic ingestion in juvenile white seabream (Diplodus sargus) through a literature review combined with in-situ and in-vivo experiments in coastal nursery habitats. High inter-individual variability in trophic resource use and MP uptake was found, challenging the assumption that omnivores and early life stages are consistently prone to elevated ingestion, and highlighting the need for adequate sample sizes and environmental context.
Assessing microplastic uptake and impact on omnivorous juvenile white seabream Diplodus sargus (Linnaeus, 1758) under laboratory conditions
Juvenile white seabream exposed to microplastics at realistic environmental concentrations preferred biofilm-coated particles over pristine ones, suggesting fish may actively select microplastics that smell like food. However, fish could still distinguish microplastics from real prey, indicating some capacity to avoid ingestion.
Changes in the food selectivity of zooplanktivorous fishes related to the effects of nutrient enrichment in an urban tropical estuary
Researchers studied juvenile fish diets in an urban tropical estuary and found that nutrient enrichment from eutrophication shifted prey availability and fish feeding strategies, while all fish species examined contained microplastic particles and showed selective ingestion of them alongside their natural zooplankton prey.
Diet characteristics of tidal creek-associated fishes of the northeastern Arabian Sea with special reference to microplastic ingestion
Researchers characterized the diet of fishes associated with tidal creeks in the northeastern Arabian Sea, finding evidence of microplastic ingestion mixed with natural prey items, reflecting environmental plastic contamination in this coastal fishing area.
Do feeding habits influence anthropogenic particle consumption in demersal fish in a tropical estuary? A study from the northern part of the Tropical Eastern Pacific
This study examined how feeding habits and trophic level influence microplastic ingestion in demersal fish from a tropical Mexican estuary, finding that feeding guild and trophic position both affected the type and quantity of anthropogenic particles consumed.