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Experimental accumulation of microplastics in acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite and its use in estimating microplastic concentration in coastal waters
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Researchers assessed the potential of acorn barnacles (Amphibalanus amphitrite) as bioindicators for microplastic pollution, finding that these filter feeders accumulate polypropylene fibers and fragments in ways that could help estimate coastal water contamination levels.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has been an emerging problem in the marine environment over the last few decades. Considering wide-ranging negative impacts of MPs on marine organisms, monitoring MP pollution in marine ecosystems is essential and urgent for developing effective management of the problem. An exposure experiment was conducted to assess the potential of the striped barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite as a bioindicator of MPs. The barnacles were exposed to either polypropylene fibers or fragments for 8 days. A full factorial experiment was conducted, with the shape (fragment, fiber), exposure concentration (10, 100, and 1000 items L -1 ) and exposure duration (2, 4, and 8 days) as independent factors. The highest number of MPs in A. amphitrite was 21.04 ± 15.22 fragments g -1 and 17.60 ± 13.8 fibers g -1 wet weight recorded after 4 days of exposure, and the MP concentration in the barnacles was positively correlated with the exposure concentration, regardless of the form of MPs. A regression equation relating the MP concentration in the barnacles and that in the water was computed to estimate the MP concentration in the coastal waters of Hong Kong. The predicted values were close to the published data, indicating the potential of A. amphitrite as a bioindicator of MP pollution.
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Non-selective feeding on microplastics in the acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite: the implications in assessing barnacles as global microplastics bioindicators
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Researchers studied microplastic ingestion by striped barnacles (Amphibalanus amphitrite) by exposing them to three plastic types, two sizes, and two concentrations, with and without biofilm coatings. Barnacles ingested microplastics non-selectively regardless of type or biofilm status, confirming them as useful bioindicators of plastic pollution in marine environments.
Barnacle analysis as a microplastic pollution bioindicator on the East Coast of Surabaya
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A total of 196 microplastic particles were found in barnacles, water, and sediment on the east coast of Surabaya, with barnacles dominated by very small fragments in the 1-10 micron range. Amphibalanus amphitrite was identified as a potential bioindicator species for microplastic monitoring in coastal environments.
Data Sheet 1_Non-selective feeding on microplastics in the acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite: the implications in assessing barnacles as global microplastics bioindicators.docx
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Researchers studied non-selective microplastic ingestion in striped barnacles (Amphibalanus amphitrite) as supporting data for a broader study on marine bioindicators of plastic pollution. Barnacles ingested multiple plastic types and sizes regardless of biofilm presence, demonstrating their utility as pollution sentinels.
Barnacles as potential bioindicator of microplastic pollution in Hong Kong
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Researchers examined microplastic occurrence in four barnacle species collected from 30 sites across Hong Kong waters, finding microplastics — predominantly fibers — in all species and proposing barnacles as potential bioindicators of coastal microplastic pollution.
Barnacles as emerging sentinels of microplastic contamination: A global synthesis and analytical framing
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Barnacles — the small crustaceans that encrust ship hulls and rocky shores — filter seawater continuously, making them promising sentinels for detecting microplastic pollution levels in the ocean. This global review of 14 field studies across seven countries found that barnacles consistently reflect local microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments of polyethylene and cellophane being most common. While barnacles show real potential as low-cost monitoring organisms, the authors call for standardized methods to make data from different regions and studies comparable.
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