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High prevalence of plastic ingestion by Eriocheir sinensis and Carcinus maenas (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) in the Thames Estuary
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This study found high rates of microplastic ingestion by both native shore crabs and invasive Chinese mitten crabs in the Thames Estuary, with over 80% of individuals containing plastic particles. The ubiquity of microplastic ingestion in these crab species, including an invasive species rapidly spreading through European waterways, highlights the pervasive nature of plastic contamination in urban estuaries.
This study presents evidence for microplastic contamination in two resident species of brachyuran crab from the Thames Estuary: the native shore crab, Carcinus maenas (Linneaus, 1758) and the invasive Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis (H. Milne Edwards, 1853). The gills, gastric mill and intestine of 94 C. maenas and 41 E. sinensis were examined. Crabs were sampled periodically (ca. every three months) between December 2018 and October 2019. A total of 874 plastics were recovered, ranging 34 μm-34 mm in length. Overall, 71.3% and 100% of C. maenas and E. sinensis, respectively, contained at least one item (fibre, film, fragment or tangle of fibres) in the gill chamber, gastric mill or gastrointestinal tract. The most common items were fibres (78.5%) but in some cases, particularly in the gastric mill, these were aggregated into tangles (7.8%). Almost all E. sinensis contained tangles of fibres (95.1%), whereas, relatively few C. maenas contained similar tangles (10.6%).
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More than half of 116 intertidal crabs collected from a Japanese estuary contained microplastics, with PET fragments dominating and particles concentrated primarily in the gut. Smaller deposit-feeding crab species carried a higher microplastic burden relative to body weight than larger omnivorous species, showing that feeding behavior and body size both shape how much plastic wildlife accumulates in contaminated estuaries.
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Researchers examined microplastic contamination in a commercially important crab species from three fishing harbors in India and found plastics in every location sampled. The crabs contained an average of 0.67 microplastic particles per gram, with polyethylene and polystyrene among the most common types, and pollution levels rated as very high risk at all sites. Since these crabs are widely eaten, the findings suggest that seafood consumers may be regularly ingesting microplastics.
Microplastic contamination in the dominant crabs at the intertidal zone of Chongming Island, Yangtze Estuary
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This study investigated microplastic contamination in dominant intertidal crabs (Chiromantes dehaani) at Chongming Island in the Yangtze Estuary, finding widespread microplastic ingestion in a species whose burrowing and bioturbation behaviors may redistribute plastics in sediment.
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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.