We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
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.
The entry of microplastics (MPs) into marine food webs is a major environmental concern. We investigated how the behavior of planktonic copepods influences the risk of MPs to enter marine food webs by applying a trait-based approach and by combining experiments (bottle incubations and video observations) with biogeographical analyses. We aimed to evaluate which type of feeding behavior is most risky in terms of MP ingestion and which marine geographical areas are more susceptible to MP ingestion by planktonic copepods. We used different species as models of the main foraging behaviors in planktonic copepods: feeding-current, cruising, ambush, and mixed behavior feeding. All behaviors showed a similarly low risk of MP ingestion, up to 1 order of magnitude lower than for similar-sized microalgae. We did not observe any influence of the prey type or MP size (8 and 20 μm) on MP ingestion for any of the behaviors. By mapping the global distribution of feeding behaviors, we showed that feeding-current feeding is the most common behavior, but the risk of MP ingestion remains equally low across the global ocean, independently of the predominant behavior. Overall, our results suggest a low risk of MP ingestion by planktonic copepods and therefore a minimal risk of trophic transfer of MPs via marine pelagic copepods in marine ecosystems.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in the menu of Mediterranean zooplankton: Insights from the feeding response of the calanoid copepod Centropages typicus
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how the Mediterranean copepod Centropages typicus responds to microplastics, finding that these zooplankton ingest plastic particles whose size overlaps with their natural nano-microplankton prey, potentially threatening marine food web functioning.
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.
Microplastic ingestion by three copepod species with contrasting feeding strategies along an environmental gradient in the Gulf of Thailand
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny ocean creatures called copepods—a key food source for fish—are eating microplastics regardless of their feeding style, with what's available in their local water seeming to matter more than how they hunt for food. Since these copepods are at the bottom of the marine food chain, this suggests the amount of microplastic pollution in an area may be a bigger factor than species behavior in determining how much plastic works its way up to the fish we eat.
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.
Microplastics Residence Time in Marine Copepods: An Experimental Study
AI summary Read the abstract
Laboratory experiments measured how long microplastics remain in marine copepods after ingestion, finding that residence times vary by particle type and size, with some particles persisting longer than others and informing estimates of microplastic transfer through marine food webs.
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.