Microplastic Ingestion by Decapod Larvae

The Impact of Microplastics on Marine Copepods

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Marine copepods, a foundational link in ocean food webs, ingest microplastics alongside natural prey, causing reduced feeding, reproductive impairment, and energy depletion that can cascade up through fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Because copepods transfer energy from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels, their contamination with microplastics poses systemic risks to entire marine food chains.

Effects of Microplastic Ingestion on Manila Clams

A Quantitative Analysis of Microplastic Ingestion in Northern New York Bivalves

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Researchers quantified microplastic ingestion in bivalves collected from northern New York waterways, measuring particle counts and types across multiple species. Bivalves are filter feeders that bioaccumulate microplastics directly from their environment, making them both sentinels of freshwater contamination and a dietary exposure route for humans who consume shellfish.

Impact of Microplastics on the Physiology of Benthos

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Researchers reviewed how microplastic pollution harms bottom-dwelling aquatic organisms, summarizing evidence that benthic species face widespread physiological disruption from microplastic ingestion and accumulation, with broader implications for aquatic biodiversity.

Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics in Marine Zooplankton

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Marine zooplankton ingest microplastics, mistaking them for food, which reduces feeding, impairs reproduction, and can transfer particles up the food chain. Because zooplankton form the base of marine food webs, their ecotoxicological responses to microplastics have cascading consequences for ocean ecosystems and human seafood consumers.