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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The role of microbe-microplastic associations in marine Nematode feeding behaviors
ClearSpecies-specific effects of long-term microplastic exposure on the population growth of nematodes, with a focus on microplastic ingestion
Scientists conducted long-term microplastic exposure experiments on freshwater nematode species and found species-specific effects on population growth, with ingestion rates and harm varying substantially across species despite identical exposure conditions.
Community dynamics and functional traits drive microplastic sequestration by marine nematodes
Researchers ran short- and long-term microcosm experiments to investigate how marine nematode communities interact with microplastics in benthic sediments, finding that meaningful particle sequestration only occurred at very high MP densities and was driven primarily by opportunistic non-selective feeders, while community-level impacts on nematode structure paradoxically appeared most severe at low MP concentrations.
Community dynamics and functional traits drive microplastic sequestration by marine nematodes
Researchers used short- and long-term microcosm experiments to show that marine nematode communities sequester microplastics primarily at very high particle densities, with opportunistic non-selective feeders responsible for 90% of short-term uptake, while paradoxically the most severe community disruption occurs at low densities where no particle ingestion is detectable.
Community dynamics and functional traits drive microplastic sequestration by marine nematodes
Researchers used short- and long-term microcosm experiments to show that marine nematode communities sequester microplastics primarily at very high particle densities, with opportunistic non-selective feeders responsible for 90% of short-term uptake, while paradoxically the most severe community disruption occurs at low densities where no particle ingestion is detectable.
Enhanced Fish Feeding Tendency toward Poly(vinyl chloride) Microplastics Colonized by Luminescent Bacteria
Researchers found that fish showed enhanced feeding tendency toward PVC microplastics colonized by specific biofilm communities, suggesting that the microbial coating makes plastic particles more attractive as food, potentially increasing voluntary ingestion of microplastics by fish in natural environments.
Micro‐by‐micro interactions: How microorganisms influence the fate of marine microplastics
This review examines how microorganisms interact with microplastics in marine environments, including biofilm formation, biodegradation, and effects on plastic transport and sedimentation. Researchers found that microbial colonization of plastics can influence how microplastics move through the water column and enter food webs. The study highlights that understanding these micro-by-micro interactions is essential for assessing the environmental fate of microplastic pollution.
Microbial colonization of microplastics in the Caribbean Sea
Researchers incubated six common plastic polymers in Caribbean waters for six weeks and found that bacterial biofilm communities were not significantly shaped by plastic type or exposure time, but eukaryotic communities (including distinctive diatom assemblages) were influenced by both factors. This suggests that microplastics act as selective habitats for some microbial groups but not others, with implications for understanding how plastics alter ocean microbial ecology.
Aging of microplastics promotes their ingestion by marine zooplankton
Researchers tested whether marine zooplankton prefer microplastics that have been aged in seawater over pristine ones, hypothesizing that biofilm formation makes particles more attractive. They found that several copepod species and life stages did indeed ingest aged microplastic beads at higher rates than new ones. The study suggests that natural biofilm coating on ocean microplastics may make them resemble food, increasing the likelihood that marine organisms will consume them.
Uptake of microplastics by marine worms depends on feeding mode and particle shape but not exposure time
Researchers found that filter-feeding marine worms ingested approximately 15,000% more microfibers than deposit-feeding worms, demonstrating that both feeding mode and particle shape significantly determine microplastic uptake in marine organisms.
The plastic Trojan horse: Biofilms increase microplastic uptake in marine filter feeders impacting microbial transfer and organism health
Researchers found that microplastics colonized by microbial biofilms, which better represent environmental conditions, are ingested at higher rates by marine filter feeders than clean, virgin microbeads typically used in laboratory studies. The biofilm coating also introduced potentially harmful bacteria into the organisms that consumed them. The study suggests that previous research using pristine microplastics may have underestimated both the uptake rate and biological risks of microplastic ingestion in marine ecosystems.
The Behavior of Planktonic Copepods Minimizes the Entry of Microplastics in Marine Food Webs
Researchers found that planktonic copepods across all major feeding behaviors ingested microplastics at rates up to ten times lower than similar-sized microalgae, suggesting that copepod feeding strategies naturally limit the entry of microplastics into marine food webs.
Do different habits affect microplastics contents in organisms? A trait-based analysis on salt marsh species
Scientists measured microplastic occurrence in six benthic invertebrate species from salt marshes in northern Italy and the Netherlands, finding that species feeding habits, body size, and habitat use were better predictors of microplastic contamination than sampling location alone.
Ingestion of microplastics by free-living marine nematodes, especially Enoplolaimus spp., in Mallipo Beach, South Korea
Scientists found that marine nematodes—tiny worms living in beach sediments in South Korea—ingested microplastics, with some species taking up more than others. This shows microplastics are entering the base of marine food webs through sediment-dwelling organisms, potentially affecting entire ecosystems.
Microbial Life on the Surface of Microplastics in Natural Waters
Researchers reviewed how microorganisms colonize the surface of microplastic particles floating in natural waters, forming biofilms that can include potentially harmful bacteria. These biofilm-coated microplastics concentrate near the water-air interface and are more readily consumed by aquatic animals than bare plastic particles. The study highlights that understanding microbial life on microplastics is essential for assessing their environmental and public health impacts.
Microplastic pollution in aquatic environments may facilitate misfeeding by fish
Researchers found that biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces in freshwater environments facilitates fish misidentification of plastics as food, with the probability of capture increasing significantly as biofilm aging progressed over weeks.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.
Ingestion of microplastics by nematodes depends on feeding strategy and buccal cavity size
Seven nematode species with different feeding strategies and buccal cavity sizes were exposed to fluorescent polystyrene beads in single- and multi-species experiments, finding that ingestion depended on both buccal cavity morphology and feeding mode. The study shows that susceptibility to microplastic ingestion in soil nematodes is governed by physical constraints and feeding behavior.
Microplastics Alter Predator Preferences of Prey throughAssociative Learning
Researchers used the nematode C. elegans to show that microplastic-contaminated food causes animals to prefer cleaner food sources through associative learning, and that prior experience with contaminated food shapes these preferences — suggesting ecological feeding interactions may be broadly altered by plastic pollution.
Biofilm development as a factor driving the degradation of plasticised marine microplastics
Researchers investigated how natural marine biofilms drive the degradation of plasticized microplastics. The study found that biodegradation was dependent on polymer type, plasticizer type, and time, with polystyrene containing bisphenol A showing the most degradation, coinciding with increased abundance of putative biodegradative bacteria in the colonizing biofilm.
Impact of Biofilm Formation on Microplastic Behaviour in Aquatic Environments: An Comprehensive Review.
This review examines how biofilms — communities of microorganisms that coat microplastics — change the behavior of plastic particles in aquatic environments, affecting how they move, sink, and interact with ecosystems. Understanding biofilm formation on microplastics is key to predicting where these particles end up and what risks they pose to water quality and aquatic life.
Feeding behavior is the main driver for microparticle intake in mangrove crabs
Scientists investigated microplastic ingestion by crabs in mangrove ecosystems and found that feeding behavior was the primary driver of particle uptake, with deposit-feeding crabs accumulating more microplastics than filter feeders, underscoring the role of behavioral traits in determining microplastic exposure.
Time-resolved colonization patterns of bacteria and fungi on polystyrene microplastics in floodplain soils
Scientists studied how bacteria and fungi grow on tiny plastic particles (microplastics) buried in soil over several months. They found that these microbes form films on the plastic surfaces and some types can actually break down the plastic particles. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment, and understanding how soil microbes interact with them could help us learn whether these plastics break down naturally or accumulate in ways that might affect our food and water.
Feeding behavior and species interactions increase the bioavailability of microplastics to benthic food webs
Researchers used a controlled food web experiment to study how feeding behavior and species interactions affect microplastic movement through benthic ecosystems. They found that biological activities like bioturbation and predation significantly increased the availability and redistribution of microplastics in sediments compared to physical processes alone. The study demonstrates that living organisms play a major role in determining where microplastics end up in aquatic environments, which has important implications for pollution monitoring.
Role of Biofilms in the Degradation of Microplastics
This review examines the role of microbial biofilms in degrading microplastics, presenting insights into how microbial communities colonizing plastic surfaces may contribute to the breakdown of microplastic particles in aquatic and terrestrial environments.