We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Real-time visualization reveals copepod mediated microplastic flux
AI summary Read the abstract
Real-time microscopy revealed how copepods (tiny marine crustaceans) mediate the transport and fragmentation of microplastics through feeding and egestion behavior. This shows that zooplankton play an active biological role in shaping the distribution and size spectrum of microplastics in marine waters.
Zooplankton are emerging as key actors in shaping the distribution and fate of microplastics in marine environments. Copepods are the predominant taxa in marine zooplankton communities, underpinning food webs and playing vital roles in biogeochemical cycling. Marine copepods have been identified as microplastic reservoirs that likely contribute to the biological transport of microplastics. Evaluating the extent to which copepods contribute to marine plastic cycles requires accurate measures of copepod-mediated microplastic fluxes. To address this critical research gap, real-time visualization is implemented to precisely measure microplastic gut passage time and ingestion intervals. The North Atlantic temperate copepod Calanus helgolandicus was exposed to fluorescent polystyrene beads, polyamide fibers and polyamide fragments under varying food concentrations. Copepods demonstrated consistent microplastic gut passage times (median: 40 min) with food concentration and microplastic shape having no significant effect. This study provides robust estimates of gut passage time and ingestion intervals, establishing a quantitative framework for assessing copepod-mediated microplastic fluxes. Estimated fluxes (∼271 microplastics m⁻³ day⁻¹), based on the mean abundance of C. helgolandicus in the western English Channel (Northeast Atlantic), suggest that copepods may represent key drivers of vertical microplastic transport. These findings advance integration of copepod-driven processes into oceanographic models, reducing uncertainties in microplastic transport predictions and enhancing understanding of microplastics' ecological impacts on marine ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles.
More Papers Like This
The Behavior of Planktonic Copepods Minimizes the Entry of Microplastics in Marine Food Webs
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that planktonic copepods across all major feeding behaviors ingested microplastics at rates up to ten times lower than similar-sized microalgae, suggesting that copepod feeding strategies naturally limit the entry of microplastics into marine food webs.
Tracking Nano- and Microplastics Accumulation and Egestion in a Marine Copepod by Novel Fluorescent AIEgens: Kinetic Modeling of the Rhythm Behavior
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used advanced fluorescent probes to precisely track how a marine copepod species takes in and expels nano- and microplastic particles of different sizes and surface types. They found that the copepods followed rhythmic feeding and excretion patterns, with smaller nanoplastics accumulating more readily and being expelled more slowly than larger particles. The study provides detailed data on how tiny marine organisms process plastic particles, which is important for understanding how plastics move through ocean food webs.
Functional study of the ingestion and excretion of microplastics by marine coastal copepods
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how marine coastal copepods ingest and excrete microplastics and assessed their role as vectors for plastic dispersal in the water column. Copepods readily ingested microplastics, retained particles for variable periods depending on size and feeding rate, and excreted aggregated fecal pellets that could redistribute plastics vertically in the ocean.
Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in natural marine environments, examining whether copepods and other zooplankton serve as an entry point for transferring microplastics from the water column into the marine food web.
Ingestion of Microplastics in the Planktonic Copepod from the Indonesian Throughflow Pathways
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion by three size classes of marine copepods — tiny crustaceans that form the base of ocean food webs — along the Indonesian Throughflow, one of the world's major ocean current systems. Fiber microplastics dominated ingested particles (87%), and seven polymer types were identified in copepod bodies. Because copepods are eaten by virtually everything in the ocean, their ingestion of microplastics creates a direct pathway for plastic particles and associated chemicals to move up the food chain toward fish and ultimately humans.
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.