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Papers
35 resultsShowing papers from University of St Andrews
ClearOrganic or junk food? Microplastic contamination in Antarctic krill and salps
Researchers examined Antarctic krill and salps for microplastic contamination and confirmed that both species are actively ingesting plastic particles in the Southern Ocean. Krill contained more microplastics per individual than salps, but the particles found in salps were larger, likely reflecting differences in their feeding strategies. The study provides the first comparative field evidence that microplastic ingestion is an ongoing process in these key Antarctic species, raising concerns about plastic pollution entering polar food webs.
Marine mammal conservation: over the horizon
This review examines the conservation status of marine mammals, which play important ecological roles and serve as indicators of ocean health. The researchers found that at least 25% of marine mammal species are classified as threatened, facing risks from climate change, fisheries bycatch, pollution, and maritime development. The study outlines research priorities and conservation strategies needed to protect at-risk species while building on recent recovery successes.
Toxic effects of fluoxetine-loaded onto virgin or aged polypropylene, polyamide and polyvinyl chloride microparticles on Daphnia magna
Researchers tested whether microplastics loaded with the antidepressant fluoxetine could transfer the drug into the food chain using water fleas as a model organism. They found that all types of microplastics carrying fluoxetine were toxic to the water fleas, with virgin plastics causing more harm than weathered ones. The study provides evidence that microplastics can act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments, delivering harmful chemicals to organisms that ingest them.
Eco-Friendly Nanomaterials for Remediation of Microplastics and Heavy Metals in Wetland Ecosystems
This review examines how eco-friendly nanomaterials, such as biochar composites and plant-derived nanoparticles, can be used to simultaneously remove microplastics and heavy metals from wetland ecosystems. Researchers found that these green materials show promising efficiency for co-remediation while remaining compatible with wetland organisms. The study emphasizes the need for more real-world field testing and recommends incorporating microplastic-heavy metal co-remediation strategies into environmental policy.
Linking effects of anthropogenic debris to ecological impacts
Researchers reviewed the links between anthropogenic debris exposure and ecological impacts, arguing that most studies focus only on sublethal responses to plastic debris. The study suggests that researchers have overlooked medical insights about how debris effects at lower biological levels can escalate to disease and mortality, and calls for policy to recognize the hazardous nature of marine debris.
Aging microplastics enhances the adsorption of pharmaceuticals in freshwater
Researchers found that aging microplastics through photo-oxidation significantly increases their ability to adsorb pharmaceutical compounds from freshwater compared to virgin particles. Among the drugs tested, fluoxetine showed the highest adsorption, binding to all aged microplastic types at rates up to 99%. The study highlights that environmentally weathered microplastics may act as more effective carriers of pharmaceutical pollutants in freshwater ecosystems than previously assumed.
Collecting baleen whale blow samples by drone: A minimally intrusive tool for conservation genetics
Researchers used drones to collect exhaled breath samples from humpback and fin whales in coastal British Columbia for conservation genetics studies. The study demonstrated that this non-invasive approach can successfully yield DNA for genetic analysis without disturbing the animals. Evidence indicates that drone-based blow sampling represents a valuable minimally intrusive tool for monitoring whale populations and supporting conservation efforts.
Eight urgent, fundamental and simultaneous steps needed to restore ocean health, and the consequences for humanity and the planet of inaction or delay
This perspective article identified eight urgent simultaneous actions needed to restore ocean health—including reducing emissions, overfishing, and pollution—and argued that delay or partial action risks irreversible ratchet-like degradation of ocean systems. The authors emphasize that ocean restoration directly supports human wellbeing and that the window for effective intervention is narrowing.
Characterisation of microplastics is key for reliable data interpretation
Researchers evaluated 21 published adsorption studies and found that most used microplastics with superficial or no physicochemical characterization, arguing that thorough characterization is essential for reliable and reproducible microplastic research data.
A global horizon scan of issues impacting marine and coastal biodiversity conservation
Researchers convened a transdisciplinary panel of 30 marine experts to identify 15 emerging issues likely to significantly impact marine and coastal biodiversity over the next decade, including wildfire runoff, novel biodegradable materials, and soft robotics, using a modified Delphi voting process to prioritize from 75 candidate issues.
Sedimentary carbon on the continental shelf: Emerging capabilities and research priorities for Blue Carbon
This review presents a toolbox of methods for assessing organic carbon stored in continental shelf sediments, addressing how much carbon exists, how fast it accumulates, and how vulnerable it is to human activities like trawling within the expanding Blue Carbon framework.
Measuring fish cognition: empirical‐based guidance for designing cognition assays
This methods review provided empirically-based guidance for designing fish cognition assays, addressing common pitfalls in maze tasks, associative learning tests, and social cognition experiments. The authors discussed how contaminant exposure — including to microplastics — can impair cognitive performance and how study designs should account for this.
Real-world impacts of microplastic pollution on seafloor ecosystem function
Using a field-based sampling design, researchers found that microplastic pollution along a gradient in Waitemata Harbour, New Zealand, was significantly associated with reduced benthic ecosystem function including reduced bioturbation and organic matter processing. The study provides rare real-world evidence that microplastic pollution affects seafloor ecosystem processes.
Microplastic study reveals the presence of natural and synthetic fibres in the diet of King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) foraging from South Georgia
Analysis of King Penguin diet using scat-based molecular methods confirmed the presence of both natural and synthetic fibers in penguin digestive systems, suggesting penguins foraging around South Georgia are exposed to microfiber pollution. The study raises concerns about how even remote sub-Antarctic wildlife are affected by microplastic contamination from distant sources.
Future Directions in Research on Beaked Whales
This paper reviews gaps in knowledge about beaked whale biology and proposes research priorities including diet, behavior, habitat use, and threats such as entanglement and noise pollution. Understanding beaked whale ecology is relevant to assessing how marine megafauna are affected by broader ocean health issues including plastic pollution.
Long‐term photo‐identification study of fin whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary (NW Mediterranean) as a baseline for targeted conservation and mitigation measures
A long-term photo-identification study of fin whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary (NW Mediterranean) identified 507 individual whales across a merged multi-decade catalogue, estimating population size, survival rates, and sex ratio from resighting data. The baseline data established by this study provides a foundation for measuring population responses to threats including ship strikes, noise, and marine pollution.
The role of microphytobenthos in soft‐sediment ecological networks and their contribution to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services
This review examines the ecological role of microphytobenthos - microscopic algae living in soft sediments - in marine food webs and ecosystem services, highlighting their importance for carbon cycling, sediment stabilization, and supporting invertebrate communities. The study provides context for understanding how microplastic pollution of seafloor sediments could disrupt these foundational organisms.
Adsorption of cyanotoxins on polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate: Microplastics as vector of eight microcystin analogues
Eight microcystin analogues were tested for adsorption onto polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics, finding that these common plastics can bind cyanotoxins from freshwater environments. The study identifies microplastics as potential vectors for cyanobacterial toxins in lakes and reservoirs, with implications for drinking water safety.
Assessment of plastic debris and biofouling in a specially protected area of the Antarctic Peninsula region
Researchers surveyed plastic debris on shores of an Antarctic Specially Protected Area, finding 730 items with 85% being plastic, dominated by polystyrene and PET, and noting that biofouling occurred on 25% of debris, indicating that even heavily protected environments are not immune to marine plastic pollution.
Augmentation of global marine sedimentary carbon storage in the age of plastic
Researchers quantified plastic carbon inputs to the global marine sedimentary system, finding that approximately 7.8 Mt of plastic carbon is deposited on the seafloor annually, exceeding the natural organic carbon burial rate and representing a previously unaccounted anthropogenic component of the marine carbon cycle.
Deliverable 3.2. Maps of present ecosystem pressures (fishing, shipping, pollution and other)
Researchers assessed the availability of spatial data on human pressures across the Atlantic Ocean basin — including fishing, shipping, aquaculture, and pollution — identifying major data gaps and recommending AI-based mapping approaches to improve ecosystem-based management of open ocean environments.
Consequences of in vitro benzyl butyl phthalate exposure for blubber gene expression and insulin-induced Akt activation in juvenile grey seals
Researchers exposed juvenile grey seal blubber tissue to benzyl butyl phthalate in vitro, finding that this high-molecular-weight plasticizer disrupted gene expression related to lipid metabolism and impaired insulin-stimulated Akt signaling, suggesting phthalates may compromise the fat storage and mobilization critical to marine mammal health.
Direct synthesis of polyureas from the dehydrogenative coupling of diamines and methanol
Researchers developed a direct synthesis route for polyureas using dehydrogenative coupling of diamines and methanol catalysed by a ruthenium pincer complex, replacing toxic diisocyanate precursors with renewable, cheaper methanol and enabling synthesis of chiral and isotope-labelled polyurea variants.
The role of benthic biofilms in trapping estuarine microplastics
Researchers investigated how benthic biofilms in estuarine environments capture and retain microplastics under flow conditions, finding that greater biofilm development increased MP trapping efficiency and that heavy metals co-adsorbed to MPs influenced biofilm retention behavior.