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Quantitative evaluation of microplastics in colonies of Phragmatopoma caudata Krøyer in Mörch, 1863 (Polychaeta-Sabellariidae): Analysis in sandcastles and tissues and identification via Raman spectroscopy
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Researchers found microplastics embedded in the sand tubes and body tissues of Phragmatopoma caudata, a tube-building marine worm that constructs its home from sand grains. This study shows that filter-feeding and sediment-associated organisms incorporate microplastics into their structures, spreading plastic contamination through marine ecosystems.
The detection of microplastics in all world oceans, including the most remote, has become a major concern as this will substantially increase the possibility of interactions between these particles and the marine biota. Due to their small size, microplastics can be ingested by many marine species including invertebrates, causing physical damage. This study was the first evaluation of the occurrence and abundance of microplastics in three sample types related to the species Phragmatopoma caudata, (i.e. colony wash water, tubes and digested tissue from specimens). In total, 2118 samples of microplastics were quantified, with 1516 obtained from the wash water, 447 from the fragmented tubes and 155 from the digested tissue. Three types of microplastics were chemically identified via Raman Spectroscopy as polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalates. Overall, this study demonstrated that microplastics are abundantly bioavailable in the studied area and are present as filament and fragment shapes.
More Papers Like This
Abundance of microplastic in different coastal areas using Phragmatopoma caudata (Kroyer in Morch, 1863) (Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) as an indicator
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Researchers used the reef-building polychaete Phragmatopoma caudata as a bioindicator to assess microplastic abundance across different coastal areas of Brazil. They found that filter-feeding and suspension-feeding organisms like this tube worm incorporate microplastics from their environment, making them useful monitors of coastal plastic pollution.
Abundance of microplastic in different coastal areas using Phragmatopoma caudata (Kroyer in Morch, 1863) (Polychaeta: Sabelariidae) as an indicator
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Researchers used reef-building worms (Phragmatopoma caudata) as biological indicators to compare microplastic contamination across different coastal areas in Brazil. By analyzing the worms' tube structures and surrounding sediment, they found varying levels of microplastics that reflected local pollution sources. The study suggests these filter-feeding organisms can serve as practical tools for monitoring microplastic pollution along coastlines.
First attempt to quantify microplastics in Mediterranean Sabellaria spinulosa (Annelida, Polychaeta) bioconstructions
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Researchers found microplastics concentrated within the reef-like structures built by the tube worm Sabellaria spinulosa along the Italian Adriatic coast, with higher abundance and different particle shapes inside the bioconstruction than in the surrounding seafloor sediment. This suggests that the physical architecture of biogenic reefs can act as a trap for microplastic pollution, with potential consequences for the organisms living in and around these coastal habitats.
Microplastic quantification in Sabellaria reefs: a validated protocol for extraction from biogenic agglutinated matrices
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Scientists developed a new method to accurately measure tiny plastic particles trapped in underwater reefs built by marine worms. These reef structures act like filters that collect microplastics from ocean water, which can then enter the food chain when other sea creatures eat organisms living on the reefs. This improved testing method will help researchers better track plastic pollution in coastal waters and understand how it might affect seafood that people eat.
Marine PlasticDebris Entrapped in Tube Decorationsof Plumed Worm: Evidence of a Novel Biological Sink in IntertidalMudflats
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Scientists found that tiny worms living in coastal mudflats build their protective tubes using plastic fibers—mostly bits of old fishing nets and lines—collecting far more plastic than what's found in the surrounding sand or inside other sea creatures that eat plastic by accident. This matters because these worms are unknowingly acting as pollution traps, meaning standard water and sediment testing may be missing large amounts of plastic hiding in coastal ecosystems—plastic that can work its way up the food chain and eventually onto our plates.
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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.