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Potential Threat of Microplastics to Zooplanktivores in the Surface Waters of the Southern Sea of Korea
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Researchers assessed the potential threat of microplastics to zooplanktivorous organisms in southern Korean coastal waters by measuring the ratio of neustonic microplastics to zooplankton, finding that microplastic-to-zooplankton ratios reached levels where accidental ingestion of plastic instead of prey becomes ecologically significant. Ratios were notably higher after the rainy season, suggesting land-based runoff as a major input source.
The potential impact of microplastic to zooplanktivores was assessed by measuring a ratio of neustonic microplastics to zooplankton by abundance in the southern sea of Korea. Neustonic microplastics and zooplankton (0.33-2 mm) were collected using a 330-μm mesh Manta trawl in Geoje eastern Bay and Jinhae Bay before and after the rainy season in 2012 and 2013. The mean microplastic to zooplankton ratios were 0.086 (May) and 0.022 (July) in 2012, and 0.016 (June) and 0.004 (July) in 2013, indicating that zooplanktivores could be more likely to feed on microplastics than natural preys before the rainy season in 2012 and 2013. In particular, the relatively high ratio occurred in a semi-enclosed bay characterized by a shipyard and a beach resort in Geoje Bay, and at stations close to a wastewater treatment plant and an aquaculture facility in Jinhae Bay before the rainy season. Among dominant microplastics and zooplankton before the rainy season, meroplankton of macrobenthos could be confused with paint particles in Geoje Bay, 2012, whereas Styrofoam could be mistaken as immature copepods by predators in Jinhae Bay, 2013. These observations suggest that zooplanktivores could be more likely to feed on microplastics than natural preys around Geoje and Jinhae Bays before the rainy season.
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Zooplankton and Microplastics Appearing in the Surface Waters of the Yeosu Coast
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This Korean study examined the relationship between zooplankton communities and microplastic concentrations in the surface waters of Yeosu coastal areas in the southern sea of Korea, finding both zooplankton and microplastics at variable densities across sampling sites. The co-occurrence of zooplankton and microplastics at the sea surface raises concerns about incidental ingestion by small planktonic animals.
Zooplankton and Neustonic Microplastics in the Surface Layer of Yeosu Coastal Areas
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Microplastics were found coexisting with zooplankton communities in Korean coastal surface waters, with particle feeders like copepods likely ingesting plastics alongside phytoplankton given overlapping size ranges and spatial distributions. Because zooplankton are a critical food source for fish and other marine animals, their exposure to microplastics creates a direct pathway for plastic contamination to move up the food chain to seafood consumed by humans.
Marine neustonic microplastics around the southeastern coast of Korea
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Researchers surveyed microplastic debris floating in coastal waters near the mouth of the Nakdong River in South Korea before and after the rainy season, finding that rainfall dramatically increased microplastic concentrations. The study identified rivers as major conduits for land-based plastic to reach the marine neustonic zone.
Microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in Terengganu coastal waters, southern South China Sea
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Microplastics were detected in zooplankton sampled from Terengganu coastal waters in the southern South China Sea, with ingested particles including fibers, fragments, and films of various polymer types. The study adds to evidence that zooplankton - a critical link in marine food webs - widely ingest microplastics across Southeast Asian coastal waters.
Ingestion of microplastics by natural zooplankton groups in the northern South China Sea
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Researchers studied microplastic ingestion by five groups of natural zooplankton in the South China Sea using two different net sizes, finding microplastics — mainly fibers — at all sampling stations. The study provides the first data on microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in this region and highlights how small-mesh nets capture more contaminated organisms.
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