We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The effects of trophic transfer and environmental factors on microplastic uptake by plaice, Pleuronectes plastessa, and spider crab, Maja squinado
Summary
Researchers examined microplastic uptake in plaice and spider crab from the Celtic Sea alongside their prey (sand eels), finding plastic contamination in roughly 42–50% of all three species and documenting the first confirmed trophic transfer of microplastics from prey to predator in a wild marine food chain, though proximity to land rather than fishing intensity predicted exposure levels.
Microplastic pollution is apparent throughout the marine environment from deep ocean sediments to coastal habitats. Most of this is believed to originate on land, although marine activities, such as fishing and shipping, also contribute to the release and redistribution of microplastic. The relative importance of these maritime plastic sources, the manner by which they are distributed in the environment, and their effect on uptake by marine organisms are yet to be fully quantified. In this study, the relative impact of fishing activities on microplastic uptake by demersal fish and crustaceans was explored. Local fishing intensity, proximity to land and mean water velocity are compared to microplastic uptake in plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, and spider crab, Maja squinado, from the Celtic Sea. Observations were also made of microplastic contamination in ingested sand eels, Ammodytes tobianus, to establish a potential route of trophic transfer. This study is the first to identify microplastic contamination in spider crab and to document trophic transfer in the wild. Individuals were sampled from sites of varied fishing intensity in the Celtic Sea, and their stomach contents examined for the presence of microplastic. Contamination was observed in 50% of P. platessa, 42.4% of M. squinado, and 44.4% of A. tobianus. Locations of highest plastic abundance varied between P. platessa and M. squinado, indicating that different factors influence the uptake of microplastic in these two taxa. No significant link was observed between fishing effort and microplastic abundance; however, proximity to land was linked to increased abundance in M. squinado and Observations of whole prey demonstrate ongoing trophic transfer from A. tobianus to P. platessa. The lack of significant difference in microplastic abundance between predator and prey suggests that microplastic is not retained by P. platessa.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic accumulation via trophic transfer: Can a predatory crab counter the adverse effects of microplastics by body defence?
Trophic transfer and accumulation of microplastics were studied in a predatory crab to examine whether predation from lower trophic levels contributes to microplastic body burden. The study found that the crab accumulated microplastics through both filter feeding from water and consumption of contaminated prey, suggesting that higher trophic predators cannot fully avoid microplastic exposure through dietary selectivity.
Trophic transfer increases the exposure to microplastics in littoral predators
Researchers studied how microplastics move through Baltic Sea food chains from zooplankton to shrimp to prawns in laboratory experiments. They found that predators accumulated microplastics both from the water directly and by eating contaminated prey, with trophic transfer significantly increasing overall exposure. The study suggests that animals higher up the food chain face compounded microplastic exposure from multiple sources.
Trophic level transfer of microplastic: Mytilus edulis (L.) to Carcinus maenas (L.)
Researchers fed mussels pre-loaded with fluorescent polystyrene microspheres to crabs and detected the particles in haemolymph, hepatopancreas, ovary, and gills — demonstrating for the first time that microplastics can transfer naturally across a trophic level and translocate into the circulatory system of a predator.
Exploring transfer of microplastics in the trophic chain: a prey-predator interaction case in the Strait of Messina
Researchers examined the transfer of microplastics across trophic levels in a prey-predator marine food web, tracking particles from prey organisms to predators. The study confirmed trophic transfer of microplastics and found that predators can accumulate higher particle concentrations than their prey.
Microplastics Risk into a Three-Link Food Chain Inside European Hake
Researchers demonstrated microplastic trophic transfer through a three-link food chain inside European hake, finding microplastics in northern krill, blue whiting prey fish, and hake stomachs from the Cantabrian Sea, confirming field evidence of bioaccumulation through predator-prey relationships.