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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Primary and secondary microplastics do not affect hatching of Japanese flounder eggs
ClearAssessing the impact of suspended irregular microplastics on the mortality of herring and cod eggs
Researchers exposed herring and cod eggs—two commercially and ecologically important North Sea species—to environmentally relevant concentrations of suspended irregular microplastics and measured mortality rates. Even at realistic environmental concentrations, certain microplastic shapes caused elevated egg mortality, providing direct evidence that early fish life stages are physically vulnerable to microplastic pollution.
Assessing the effect of microplastics on marine invertebrates: the consequence of exposure of sea urchin larvae to polystyrene microplastics
Researchers exposed sea urchin larvae (Paracentrotus lividus) to polystyrene microplastics derived from commercial disposable plates and assessed effects on fertilization, embryogenesis, and larval development, finding significant impairment of early developmental stages at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Exposure to microplastic fibers does not change fish early life stage development of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
Exposure of three-spined stickleback eggs and larvae to microplastic fibers at environmentally relevant concentrations had no significant effect on fertilization success, hatching rates, embryonic survival, or early larval development, suggesting that microplastic fibers alone may not impair early life stages of this species under realistic conditions.
Microplastics negatively impact embryogenesis and modulate the immune response of the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma
Researchers exposed marine medaka embryos (Oryzias melastigma) to polystyrene microplastics at varying concentrations and found dose-dependent developmental toxicity, including reduced hatching rates and altered immune gene expression, providing mechanistic insight into early-life MP effects.
Toxicity assessment of pollutants sorbed on environmental microplastics collected on beaches: Part II-adverse effects on Japanese medaka early life stages
Environmental microplastics collected from Pacific island beaches were tested on Japanese medaka embryos and prolarvae, with particles from Easter Island, Guam, and Hawaii causing significant mortality, developmental malformations, EROD enzyme induction, and DNA damage compared to virgin plastics. The study demonstrates that beach-collected microplastics carrying environmental pollutants are significantly more toxic than virgin particles to fish early life stages.
Effects of different types of primary microplastics on early life stages of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Researchers examined the effects of polystyrene, PET, and polyethylene microplastics on rainbow trout early life stages over 69 days, finding elevated stress hormones and DNA damage despite no significant changes in hatching success or larval survival.
Microplastics vs. ichthyoplankton: effects of this interaction in controlled and estuarine environments
This literature review synthesizes 60 studies on the interactions between microplastics and ichthyoplankton (fish eggs and larvae), finding that fiber is the most abundant microplastic type in estuarine environments, that particles smaller than 63 µm to 0.5 mm have the highest ingestion probability, and that experimental exposure frequently causes increased heart rates, developmental abnormalities, and behavioral changes in larval fish.
Effects of polystyrene microplastics on early stages of two marine invertebrates with different feeding strategies
Researchers exposed early life stages of two marine invertebrates to polystyrene microplastics to measure effects on development and survival. The study found that even early life stages are vulnerable to microplastic exposure, raising concerns about impacts on marine invertebrate populations.
The adverse effects of virgin microplastics on the fertilization and larval development of sea urchins
Researchers tested the effects of virgin microplastics on the fertilization and larval development of a marine organism, finding adverse effects on both fertilization success and larval survival at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Experimental ingestion of fluorescent microplastics by pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, and their effects on the behaviour and development at early stages
Pacific oyster embryos exposed to polystyrene microbeads showed increased developmental malformations at concentrations above 1 milligram per liter, and 3-day-old larvae exposed briefly to the same concentrations ingested particles in their digestive tract and showed reduced swimming speeds. The study highlights early larval stages as particularly sensitive windows for microplastic-induced developmental disruption.
Organic contaminants sorbed to microplastics affect marine medaka fish early life stages development
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics carrying adsorbed environmental contaminants affect the early life stages of marine medaka fish. The study found that while virgin microplastics alone showed no significant effects, microplastics spiked with benzo(a)pyrene, PFOS, or benzophenone-3 caused developmental impacts in embryos and larvae, demonstrating that microplastics can act as carriers that deliver toxic chemicals to developing fish.
Subtle ecosystem effects of microplastic exposure in marine mesocosms including fish
Researchers exposed marine mesocosm communities to polystyrene microplastic beads for two months, finding subtle but measurable effects including reduced barnacle density and slightly lower fish condition indices at moderate doses, while lugworms appeared unaffected despite ingesting the beads.
Microplastic ingestion in fish larvae in the western English Channel
This study found that fish larvae in the western English Channel had ingested microplastics, including fibers and fragments, at early life stages. Because larvae are critical for recruitment success, even sub-lethal plastic exposure during this window could have population-level consequences for commercially important fish species.
Effects of microplastics on hatching success, ingestion, and gut retention in early developmental stages of golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus)
Researchers exposed early life stages of marine fish—including eggs and larvae—to microplastics of varying sizes and concentrations, finding that MPs reduced hatching success, were ingested, and were retained in the gut in ways that could impair larval development and survival.
Secondary PVC microplastics are more toxic than primary PVC microplastics to Oryzias melastigma embryos
Researchers compared the toxicity of weathered secondary PVC microplastics to pristine primary particles using marine fish embryos. They found that the secondary microplastics caused earlier hatching, more developmental abnormalities, and greater oxidative stress than the primary ones. The study demonstrates that the irregular, partially degraded microplastics found in the ocean are likely more harmful to marine life than the smooth manufactured particles typically used in laboratory tests.
Impact of nano- and micro-sized polystyrene beads on larval survival and growth of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas.
Polystyrene beads at nano (0.55 um) and micro (10, 100 um) sizes were tested on Pacific oyster larvae, with smaller particles causing greater mortality and growth inhibition at lower concentrations, suggesting nanoplastics pose a higher risk to early bivalve development than microplastics.
Microplastics stunt fish growth and alter behavior
A study of European perch larvae found that high levels of polystyrene microplastics inhibited hatching, stunted growth, and made fish more likely to be eaten by predators. These findings raised serious concern about microplastic impacts on fish populations and the marine food supply that humans depend on.
Environmental samples of microplastics induce significant toxic effects in fish larvae
Researchers collected microplastic samples from beaches on Easter Island, Guam, and Hawaii, then fed them to Japanese medaka fish at concentrations reflecting real ocean conditions. Larvae exposed to these environmental microplastics experienced increased mortality, developmental abnormalities, DNA damage, and behavioral changes. The study demonstrates that realistic concentrations of weathered, real-world microplastics can cause significant harm to fish during their most vulnerable early life stages.
Effect of High-Density Polyethylene Microplastics on the Survival and Development of Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Larvae
Researchers found that high-density polyethylene microplastics negatively affected the survival and development of Eastern oyster larvae, a keystone reef-building species in the Chesapeake Bay, raising concerns about microplastic pollution impacts on estuarine ecosystems.
Larval Fish Habitat Brims with Plastic
Research shows that larval fish habitats in the ocean are heavily contaminated with microplastics, raising concern about early-life exposure for a life stage that is both ecologically critical and vulnerable. Microplastic overlap with larval fish habitat poses a risk to future fish populations.
[Effects of Microplastics on Embryo Hatching and Intestinal Accumulation in Larval Zebrafish Danio rerio].
Researchers examined the effects of two sizes of polystyrene microplastics (10 µm and 0.5 µm) on embryo hatching rates and intestinal accumulation in fish larvae, finding that the smaller submicron particles accumulated more readily in intestinal tissue, raising concerns about early developmental exposure.
No evidence of microplastic impacts on consumption or growth of larval Pimephales promelas
This study found no evidence that microplastic polyethylene microspheres affected the feeding or growth of larval fathead minnows at the concentrations tested. The results suggest that not all microplastic exposures produce measurable harm in fish larvae, and that effect magnitude may depend strongly on particle concentration and type.
Food availability is crucial for effects of 1-μm polystyrene beads on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in freshwater sediments
Researchers found that the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the nematode C. elegans in freshwater sediments depended critically on food availability, with negative impacts on reproduction only emerging under low-food conditions.
Effects of microplastics on the feeding rates of larvae of a coastal fish: direct consumption, trophic transfer, and effects on growth and survival
Researchers tested whether microplastics in seawater affect the feeding rates, growth, and survival of California Grunion fish larvae. They found that microplastics reduced feeding rates and demonstrated that trophic transfer of microplastics from zooplankton to larval fish occurs readily. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may impair early fish development by interfering with feeding behavior and introducing contaminants through the food chain.