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Presence of Microplastics in Macroinvertebrates of Mangroves in the Colombian Pacific: Are Feeding Behaviors Determinant for its Abundance?
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in every single shellfish and crab sample they tested from mangrove forests in Colombia, with an average of about 25 particles per animal. These particular species, cockles and crabs, are commonly eaten by local communities, meaning the plastic contamination in their environment could be making its way into the human food chain through seafood.
In mangroves, microplastics (MPs), can cause adverse effects on the species that inhabit them. This research aimed to confirm the presence of MPs in mangrove organisms of Buenaventura Bay, Colombia, to characterize them, and to estimate their effect on trophic groups. Two species of cockles, Anadara similis and Anadara tuberculosa, and crab Goniopsis pulchra were selected. MPs were extracted, counted, and classified according to shape and color. We found MPs in 100% of the organisms and transparent fragments were the most abundant (56.40%). An average of 25.54 ± 23.8 particles/individual was found, and no differences were found between the cockles, but between each of them regarding G. pulchra. The different feeding behaviors could explain these differences, more generalist species would ingest a more significant amount of particles. This is the first approximation to studying MPs inside invertebrate organisms in the Colombian Pacific.
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Scientists found microplastics, tiny plastic particles, mostly fibers, in every sediment sample they tested from Guyana's coastal mangrove forests, which protect shorelines and support local fisheries. This matters because these mangroves are a key part of the seafood supply chain, meaning the plastic contamination found there could work its way into the fish and shellfish people eat, and ultimately into our own bodies. The findings highlight the need for better plastic waste management to protect both these critical ecosystems and the food they help produce.
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Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of microplastic contamination in mangrove forests globally, finding these sensitive coastal ecosystems accumulate significant plastic particle loads that threaten biodiversity, disrupt ecological services like coastal protection and nutrient cycling, and create hotspots of environmental pollution.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.