We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Foraminifera and plastic pollution: Knowledge gaps and research opportunities
AI summary Read the abstract
This review identifies critical knowledge gaps in understanding how plastic pollution affects foraminifera — single-celled marine organisms that are important indicators of ocean health and contributors to marine sediment records. The authors outline research priorities for investigating plastic uptake, toxicity, and potential effects on foraminiferal ecology and the fossil record.
Plastic has become one of the most ubiquitous and environmentally threatening sources of pollution in the Anthropocene. Beyond the conspicuous visual impact and physical damages, plastics both carry and release a cocktail of harmful chemicals, such as monomers, additives and persistent organic pollutants. Here we show through a review of the scientific literature dealing with both plastic pollution and benthic foraminifera (Rhizaria), that despite their critical roles in the structure and function of benthic ecosystems, only 0.4% of studies have investigated the effects of micro- and nano-plastics on this group. Consequently, we urge to consider benthic foraminifera in plastic pollution studies via a tentative roadmap that includes (i) the use of their biological, physiological and behavioral responses that may unveil the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics and (ii) the evaluation of the indicative value of foraminiferal species to serve as proxies for the degree of pollution. This appears particularly timely in the context of the development of management strategies to restore coastal ecosystems.
More Papers Like This
Marine benthic foraminifera and microplastics (Accumulation and effects following short- and long-term exposure)
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined whether benthic foraminifera — tiny shell-forming ocean floor organisms — accumulate microplastics and are affected by them after both short and long exposures. Foraminifera are important indicators of ocean health, and understanding microplastic effects on them helps build a broader picture of seafloor ecosystem impacts.
Museum foraminifera archive historical marine plastic pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
Agglutinated foraminifera from museum collections dating back to 1911 were found to incorporate plastic-derived polymers detectable by pyrolysis-GC-MS, with elevated concentrations in post-1950 specimens reflecting the rise of mass plastic production. This establishes historical foraminifera as novel bioarchives capable of reconstructing a century-long timeline of marine plastic pollution.
Effect of micro-plastic particles on coral reef foraminifera
AI summary Read the abstract
Three-week exposure experiments on two species of symbiont-bearing foraminifera found that polystyrene microplastics disrupted isotopic signatures, photosynthesis, and growth in these ecologically important marine protists.
Benthic foraminifera in Gulf of Mexico show temporal and spatial dynamics of microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used benthic foraminifera from sediment cores in the Gulf of Mexico to reconstruct the temporal and spatial dynamics of microplastic accumulation since plastic production began. The study found that microplastic concentrations in sediment records reflected the historical increase in global plastic production over recent decades.
Nanoplastic incorporation into an organismal skeleton
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reported the first observation of nanoplastic particles being physically incorporated into the calcite skeleton of large benthic foraminifera, organisms important for global carbonate production in the ocean. The encrustation of nanoplastics into these calcium carbonate shells represents a previously unrecognized pathway for plastic entry into marine geological records.
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.