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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Turf-forming seaweeds as potential bioindicators of microplastic pollution in a southwestern estuary
ClearThe Role of Posidonia oceanica Spheroids in Assessing Microplastic Contamination in Coastal Ecosystems
Researchers collected 1,300 Posidonia oceanica spheroids along the Italian coast and found that about 35% contained plastic debris, with nearly half of the items classified as microplastics. The most common polymers were nylon and PET, and contamination levels correlated with proximity to wastewater treatment plants. The study suggests that these seagrass spheroids could serve as useful bioindicators for monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal ecosystems.
Biomonitoring of microplastics, anthropogenic microfibres and glass retroreflective beads by marine macroalgae
Researchers explored the potential of marine macroalgae as biomonitors for microplastics, anthropogenic microfibers, and glass retroreflective beads in coastal environments. The study suggests that seaweed species could offer a more standardized and reliable method for tracking microscopic debris compared to conventional water and sediment sampling approaches.
Macroalgae as Marine Microdebris Traps: a Case Study in the Bahía Blanca Estuary
Researchers examined seven species of macroalgae and surface waters in the Bahia Blanca Estuary, Argentina, to assess marine microdebris including microplastics and antifouling paint particles. Fiber microplastics dominated surface waters, while brown alga P. nakamurae accumulated the highest microplastic concentrations among macroalgae, and green alga B. minima showed elevated paint particle levels, indicating that macroalgae function as passive traps for marine microdebris.
Anthropogenic microparticles accumulation in small-bodied seagrass meadows: The case of tropical estuarine species in Brazil
Researchers assessed the accumulation of anthropogenic microparticles in small-bodied seagrass meadows in a tropical estuary in Brazil. The study found microparticles in 80% of samples, predominantly fibers, suggesting that seagrass meadows may act as traps for microplastic pollution in coastal environments, with implications for the organisms that depend on these habitats.
The distribution and ecological effects of microplastics in an estuarine ecosystem
Researchers surveyed 22 intertidal sites and found that microplastic abundance, size, and diversity correlated with benthic microalgal communities and sediment biostabilization properties in an estuarine ecosystem.
Comprehensive Analysis of Microplastic Abundance in Macrophytes, Macrophyte-Associated Sediments, and Water in Tropical Coastal Lagoons in Sri Lanka
Researchers examined how much microplastic accumulates in aquatic plants (macrophytes) in a tropical coastal lagoon in Sri Lanka, finding that seaweeds like Gracilaria contained up to 9 microplastic particles per gram of wet weight. Fragments dominated in plant tissues while fibers were more common in sediment and water, with PET identified as a key polymer. The study underscores that macrophytes are not just passive bystanders — they actively trap microplastics, making them important indicators of coastal plastic pollution.
Early evidence of microplastics on seagrass and macroalgae
Researchers quantified microplastic densities on the surfaces of three marine macrophyte species (two macroalgae and one seagrass) collected in situ, finding measurable contamination on all species. The results suggest that macrophytes may serve as an important but underappreciated pathway for microplastics to enter marine food webs.
Marine macrophytes retain microplastics
Water sampled within thickets of Baltic Sea macrophytes contained on average 1.7 times more microplastic particles than water sampled outside, with fibers dominating, suggesting that aquatic vegetation physically traps floating microplastics and functions as an important retention zone that concentrates pollution within coastal habitats.
Role of saltmarsh systems in estuarine trapping of microplastics
Researchers found that saltmarsh vegetation significantly enhances the trapping of microplastics in estuarine sediments compared to adjacent bare mudflats, suggesting that these coastal ecosystems act as important sinks for plastic pollution under tidal flow conditions.
Pelagic Sargassum as a Potential Vector for Microplastics into Coastal Ecosystems
This research assessed microplastics entrapped within pelagic Sargassum seaweed collected from the Mexican Caribbean coast. The study suggests that Sargassum mats act as vectors transporting microplastics from the open ocean to coastal ecosystems, amplifying plastic pollution in affected shoreline environments across more than 30 nations.
Identification of tidal trapping of microplastics in a temperate salt marsh system using sea surface microlayer sampling
Researchers used sea surface microlayer sampling to investigate tidal trapping of microplastics in a temperate salt marsh estuary, examining how the estuarine filter moderates land-to-sea microplastic transfer through vegetative trapping and particle flocculation. The study found that the sea surface microlayer captures microplastic-enriched material during tidal cycles, with salt marsh vegetation acting as a significant retention zone.
Experimental accumulation of microplastics in acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite and its use in estimating microplastic concentration in coastal waters
Researchers assessed the potential of acorn barnacles (Amphibalanus amphitrite) as bioindicators for microplastic pollution, finding that these filter feeders accumulate polypropylene fibers and fragments in ways that could help estimate coastal water contamination levels.
The power of Posidonia oceanica meadows to retain microplastics and the consequences on associated macrofaunal benthic communities
Researchers investigated how Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows accumulate microplastics in coastal sediments and the consequences for associated marine communities. The study found differences in microplastic abundance and composition at various depths and between vegetated and unvegetated sites, suggesting that seagrass beds may act as sinks for microplastic pollution with potential impacts on benthic organisms.
Trapping of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in seagrass beds: Ubiquity across a vertical and horizontal sampling gradient
Researchers examined how seagrass beds trap microplastics and other anthropogenic particles by sampling along a vegetation cover gradient from dense beds to less vegetated patches. The study found that seagrass vegetation enhances the accumulation of plastic debris in both sediment and among plant structures. Evidence indicates that seagrass ecosystems act as significant sinks for microplastic pollution, with implications for the organisms that depend on these habitats.
Spatio-temporal features of microplastics pollution in macroalgae growing in an important mariculture area, China
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in cultivated macroalgae from Haizhou Bay, a major mariculture area in China. They found that seaweed harvested during the culture period contained higher microplastic levels than during non-culture periods, with fibers making up over 90% of particles. The study suggests that aquaculture gear is a significant source of microplastic pollution, releasing an estimated 1,037 tons of plastic into the environment annually.
Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes
Researchers found that the macrophytic green alga Cladophora in the Great Lakes sequesters synthetic microfibers at high rates, suggesting that submerged aquatic vegetation serves as an important sink for textile-derived plastic particles in freshwater systems.
Posidonia oceanica wrack intercepts plastic debris: First evaluated evidence on Maltese beaches
Researchers measured plastic debris trapped within deposits of Posidonia oceanica seagrass wrack on three Maltese beaches, finding up to 102 plastic items per square meter and documenting the seagrass mats as useful indicators of coastal plastic pollution — including micro-, meso-, and macroplastics.
The Role of Estuarine Wetlands (Saltmarshes) in Sediment Microplastics Retention
Researchers compared microplastic levels in vegetated saltmarsh sediments versus bare sediments in a Portuguese estuary and found that saltmarsh vegetation traps significantly more plastic particles. Fibers were the most common type of microplastic found, followed by fragments. The study suggests that coastal wetlands act as natural filters for microplastic pollution, which has implications for both conservation and pollution management.
Temporal patterns in the abundance, type and composition of microplastics on the coast of the Río de la Plata estuary
Researchers monitored microplastic abundance, type, and composition monthly for one year in water and intertidal sediment at an urbanized site on the Río de la Plata estuary in Argentina, finding temporal patterns linked to environmental factors including river flow and seasonal variation.
Microplastics associated with stranded macroalgae on an impacted estuarine beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Researchers examined microplastics trapped in seaweed washed up on a beach in Brazil's heavily polluted Guanabara Bay. Red algae captured significantly more microplastic particles than green algae, likely due to their more complex branching structure. The microplastic levels found in these algae were higher than those reported in studies from other locations, suggesting that nutrient-rich, polluted waters increase the amount of plastic debris that accumulates on marine plants.
The role of seagrass meadows in the coastal trapping of litter
Researchers studied how seagrass meadows trap and accumulate non-floating marine litter, including microplastics, across six Posidonia oceanica meadows. The study found that litter accumulated mainly at the landside edge of the meadow, with macro-litter concentrations increasing threefold after heavy rainfall, suggesting seagrass plays an important role in coastal litter dynamics.
The fate of plastic litter within estuarine compartments: An overview of current knowledge for the transboundary issue to guide future assessments
Researchers reviewed global knowledge on plastic fate within estuaries and found plastic concentrations reaching thousands of items per cubic meter in water and sediment, while identifying major methodological gaps — particularly that microfibers are consistently undersampled and that studies rarely account for ecological trophic gradients or the physicochemical dynamics driving plastic distribution and bioavailability.
Study of microplastic accumulation in halophyte plants and macroalgae: A critical review
This critical review examines how halophyte plants and marine macroalgae accumulate microplastics and nano-plastics from coastal environments, acting as natural traps for marine debris. The authors assess both the ecological implications of plastic accumulation in these organisms and their potential utility as bioindicators or phytoremediation tools for coastal microplastic pollution.
Avaliação temporal de uma comunidade bioincrustante atuando como armadilha para microplásticos
A study of a Brazilian estuary found that biofouling communities — the mix of organisms that colonise submerged surfaces — act as a trap for microplastics, with more particles accumulating the longer the surface remains underwater. This matters because biofouling organisms are widespread in coastal and estuarine environments, suggesting they may be underappreciated hotspots for microplastic concentration and potential transfer up the food web.