We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Supplementary material from "Microplastics disrupt hermit crab shell selection"
AI summary Read the abstract
Lab experiments showed that hermit crabs exposed to polyethylene microplastic spheres for five days were less likely to investigate, contact, or enter an optimally-sized shell than unexposed crabs. Since shell selection is critical for hermit crab survival, microplastic-induced impairment of this behavior could have meaningful effects on their fitness in polluted environments.
Microplastics (plastics Pagurus bernhardus) as a model to test whether microplastic exposure impacts the essential survival behaviours of contacting, investigating and entering an optimal shell. We kept 64 female hermit crabs in tanks containing either polyethylene spheres (n = 35) or no plastic (n = 29) for 5 days. We then transferred subjects into suboptimal shells and placed them in an observation tank with an optimal alternative shell. Plastic-exposed hermit crabs showed impaired shell selection: they were less likely than controls to contact optimal shells or enter them. They also took longer to contact and enter the optimal shell. Plastic exposure did not affect time spent investigating the optimal shell. These results indicate that microplastics impair cognition (information-gathering and processing), disrupting an essential survival behaviour in hermit crabs.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics disrupt hermit crab shell selection
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested whether microplastic exposure impairs shell selection in common European hermit crabs and found that crabs pre-exposed to microplastics were less likely to investigate and enter appropriate shells, suggesting microplastics can disrupt essential survival behaviors.
Does microplastic exposure and sex influence shell selection and motivation in the common European hermit crab, Pagurus bernhardus?
AI summary Read the abstract
This study tested whether microplastic exposure influences shell selection behavior and motivational drive in hermit crabs, finding that MP-exposed crabs showed altered preferences for new shells. The results suggest that microplastic contamination may impair sensory or cognitive processes important for survival in hermit crabs.
Raw Data from All Shell Selection Experiments from Microplastics disrupt hermit crab shell selection
AI summary Read the abstract
This dataset contains raw behavioral data from shell selection experiments in hermit crabs exposed to microplastics, recording whether crabs contacted and entered optimal shells and the latency for these behaviors. The data support a published study showing that microplastics disrupt normal shell selection behavior in hermit crabs.
Short-Term Microplastic Exposure Impairs Cognition in Hermit Crabs
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested whether short-term microplastic exposure impairs cognition in hermit crabs by exposing them to polyethylene microspheres for five days and then assessing their shell-selection behavior. The study found that microplastic-exposed crabs showed impaired information gathering and decision-making compared to controls, providing evidence that even brief microplastic exposure can affect cognitive function in invertebrates.
Animal contests and microplastics: evidence of disrupted behaviour in hermit crabsPagurus bernhardus
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that microplastic exposure disrupted shell-fighting contests in hermit crabs, impairing defenders' ability to assess opponents and reducing attackers' rapping strength, suggesting broader behavioral impacts on marine animals than previously recognized.
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.