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Preliminary observations of plastic debris in the gastrointestinal tract of sea urchin Tetrapygus niger
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Researchers found microplastics inside the gastrointestinal tracts of sea urchins (Tetrapygus niger) from Chile, with fibers being the dominant type. This is among the first reports documenting microplastic ingestion in this echinoderm species.
Plastic pollution is regarded as one of the major issues from the Anthropocene epoch. Microplastics (<5 mm) are the result of the excessive plastic production and littering, thus becoming widespread in the environment. In this study, the presence and characteristics of microplastics extracted from the gastrointestinal tract of sea urchin Tetrapygus niger was reported. An average abundance of 3.22 ± 0.49 microplastics per individual was found, ranging from 1 to 5. Fibers were the dominant type (75.9%), followed by fragments (24.1%). Regarding color, most of the particles found were blue > red > black > green. These results are in lower magnitude levels than those reported in others species from the same region. However, microplastics could transfer from sea urchins to predators in higher trophic levels, like marine mammals. Prospects for further research was discussed.
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Assessment of microplastic content in Diadema africanum sea urchin from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)
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Scientists found microplastics in the digestive tracts and gonads of Diadema africanum sea urchins collected from the Canary Islands. Both sampling locations showed contamination, with fibers being the most common type found. This is one of the first studies documenting microplastic ingestion in this ecologically important sea urchin species.
Ingestion and egestion of microplastic fibers in the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis: An experimental exposure
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Lab experiments showed that green sea urchins readily ingest and then expel microplastic fibers, but the fibers persisted in their digestive systems longer than natural food particles. This raises concern about chronic microplastic exposure and potential blockage or chemical effects in these and other marine invertebrates.
Microplastic contamination in the digestive tract of sea urchins (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the digestive tracts of sea urchins from Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia, finding a relationship between microplastic accumulation in sediments and ingestion during foraging. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the polymer types of microplastics found in both sediment and sea urchin digestive tracts.
Occurrence of microplastics in three wild species of sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus, Arbacia lixula and Diadema africanum) from the coastal area of Tenerife and La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain).
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Three species of sea urchins from the Canary Islands were found to have ingested microplastics, likely from coastal runoff and submarine outfalls. Sea urchins play a key ecological role in structuring rocky coastal ecosystems, so microplastic contamination in these animals could have broader effects on marine food webs. The findings add to growing evidence that microplastics have penetrated even ecologically important invertebrate species in coastal waters.
Microplastics in specific tissues of wild sea urchins along the coastal areas of northern China
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Sea urchins collected from 12 sites across nearly 3,000 km of northern China's coastline were analyzed for microplastic accumulation in specific tissues, with contamination detected at all sites and significant variation in abundance, type, and polymer composition across locations.
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