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Ingested microscopic plastics translocate from the gut cavity of juveniles of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis
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Microscopic polystyrene particles (1 micrometer) were found to be ingested by juvenile sea squirts (Ciona intestinalis) and then move from the gut into body tissues, a process called translocation. This ability to penetrate tissue barriers is concerning because it means microplastics can potentially affect internal organs in marine filter-feeders.
Small plastic particles, named microplastics, are abundant in the marine environment and can be ingested by marine organisms. Species with different feeding strategies can be differently affected by the presence of microplastics. Moreover, the impact of these particles can depend on their size. In this study, we analyzed the effects of 1 µm polystyrene particles on larval and juvenile development in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. As previously reported for 10 µm beads, smaller particles caused a delay in the growth of juveniles, even if this delay was registered only at the highest concentration tested. Instead, larval development was not affected by the presence of microplastics. Histological analysis of juveniles revealed that 1 µm particles, after ingestion, can translocate from the gut to the hemocoelic cavity in just 8 days. As a defense mechanism, plastic spheres can also be phagocytized from specific circulating cells with phagocytic activity. Microplastics confirmed their potential as a threat to marine wildlife, interfering with food uptake and growth.
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This study investigated how sea squirts (Ciona intestinalis) respond to microplastic and nanoplastic ingestion, finding cellular damage, immune responses, and altered gene expression at environmentally relevant concentrations. Sea squirts are filter feeders that can provide insights into how microplastics affect animals that share similar feeding strategies with shellfish consumed by humans.
The relationship between Ascidians and plastic pollution: A systematic review of interaction mechanisms, biological impacts, and ecological roles
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This systematic review examines how sea squirts interact with micro- and nanoplastic pollution in ocean environments. These filter-feeding animals consistently accumulate plastic particles and show significant cellular damage as a result, making them useful biological indicators of marine plastic contamination. The findings illustrate how microplastics move through marine food webs, with implications for the seafood that ends up on our plates.
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This systematic review looks at how sea squirts (ascidians), which are filter-feeding marine animals, interact with microplastic pollution. The research found that these organisms consistently accumulate microplastics and suffer significant health effects at the cellular level, making them useful indicators of ocean plastic contamination. Since ascidians are part of the marine food web, their plastic accumulation can contribute to the transfer of microplastics up the food chain.
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This study assessed microplastic contamination in ascidians, marine filter feeders that play key roles in ocean health and are used as models in evolutionary and pollution biology. Microplastics were detected in ascidian tissues, with the study examining how filter feeding concentrates plastic particles and what developmental consequences may result.
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Microplastic fibers were found to enter the coelomic fluid of sea cucumbers and move between internal tissues, suggesting that these commercially important marine animals can internalize and redistribute microplastics throughout their bodies.
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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.