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Plastic pellets as oviposition site and means of dispersal for the ocean-skater insect Halobates
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Researchers found that plastic pellets on beaches serve as egg-laying sites for the ocean-skater insect Halobates, with about 24% of pellets bearing eggs. While microplastics are generally harmful to marine life, the study shows they can benefit some species by providing hard substrate that is scarce in the open ocean, potentially increasing Halobates populations.
Microplastics are omnipresent in the oceans and generally have negative impacts on the biota. However, flotsam may increase the availability of hard substrates, which are considered a limiting resource for some oceanic species, e.g. as oviposition sites for the ocean insect Halobates. This study describes the use of plastic pellets as an oviposition site for Halobates micans and discusses possible effects on its abundance and dispersion. Inspection of egg masses on stranded particles on beaches revealed that a mean of 24% (from 0% to 62%) of the pellets bore eggs (mean of 5 and max. of 48 eggs per pellet). Most eggs (63%) contained embryos, while 37% were empty egg shells. This shows that even small plastic particles are used as oviposition site by H. micans, and that marine litter may have a positive effect over the abundance and dispersion of this species.
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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.