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Early evidence of microplastics on seagrass and macroalgae
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Researchers quantified microplastic densities on the surfaces of three marine macrophyte species (two macroalgae and one seagrass) collected in situ, finding measurable contamination on all species. The results suggest that macrophytes may serve as an important but underappreciated pathway for microplastics to enter marine food webs.
Microplastic accumulation on marine macrophytes, such as macroalgae and seagrasses, is a potentially critical but overlooked pathway by which microplastics enter the marine food web. Despite the possible significance of this pathway, few studies have examined the presence of microplastics on macrophytes found in situ. We quantified the density of microplastics found on the surfaces of three species of intertidal seagrasses (Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata and Thalassia hemprichii) and two species of subtidal macroalgae (Padina sp. and Sargassum ilicifolium), and found significantly higher microplastic densities on seagrasses than on macroalgae. However, we found no relationships between microplastic density and epibiont cover in either seagrass or macroalgae. Our study has provided early evidence of microplastics on macrophyte surfaces in situ, being the first such evidence for macroalgae, and the second for seagrasses.
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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.