We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Study on the Presence of Microplastics in Zooplankton Collected from Ennore Estuary, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied seasonal variations in microplastic ingestion by zooplankton (especially copepods) in Ennore Estuary, Chennai, India, a coastal area affected by industrial and urban pollution. Their findings showed that copepods consumed microplastics throughout the year, raising concerns about contamination entering the marine food chain through this key trophic link.
Microplastic contamination has been considered as a global environmental problem in marine ecosystem. Due to small size (< 5 mm) in overlapping with that of microalgae, microplastics can easily be ingested by a wide range of marine copepods. Microplastics are mistakenly ingested by zooplankton as food, subsequently disrupting the biological process of zooplankton, a crucial food source for many secondary consumers. As copepods dominate zooplankton biomass and provide an essential trophic link in marine ecosystem, copepods are at an increased risk of microplastic ingestion. The seasonal change in microplastics in copepods and the key environmental factors influencing the retention of microplastics in copepods are largely unknown. In the present study we collected copepods from Ennore estuary and identified them up to the species level. The samples were digested and visually examined by using microscope for presence of microplastic. Our results showed that the copepods collected from Ennore estuary contained microplastics in their body.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in copepods reflects the manmade flow restrictions in the Kochi backwaters, along the southwest coast of India
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated spatiotemporal variations of microplastics in calanoid copepods in India's Kochi backwaters estuary, finding that microplastic ingestion rates were significantly higher (0.11 items/individual) when a saltwater barrage was closed during pre-monsoon and northeast monsoon seasons compared to southwest monsoon when barrage shutters were open. The study demonstrates how man-made hydrological flow restrictions concentrate microplastics in zooplankton and increase trophic transfer potential.
Impact of anthropogenic activities on the abundance of microplastics in copepods sampled from the southeast coast of India
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured microplastic contamination in tiny crustaceans called copepods along the southeast coast of India and found that areas with more human activity had higher concentrations. Microplastics were present in both the surface water and inside the copepods themselves, with fibers being the most common type. The findings suggest that human activities along coastlines are directly contributing to microplastic ingestion by marine organisms at the base of the food chain.
A First Record on Microplastic Ingestion by Tropical Estuarine Copepods of Bangladesh
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented for the first time microplastic ingestion by calanoid and cyclopoid copepods in the Lower Meghna Estuary of Bangladesh over a one-year sampling period. Fibers accounted for over 50 percent of ingested particles in both copepod groups, with acid digestion and SEM used for extraction and identification.
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.
Seasonal characteristics of microplastics ingested by copepods in Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated seasonal variation in microplastics ingested by copepods in Jiaozhou Bay, China, finding that microplastic abundance in zooplankton varied significantly across seasons and was correlated with key environmental factors including temperature and chlorophyll concentration.
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.