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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in the menu of Mediterranean zooplankton: Insights from the feeding response of the calanoid copepod Centropages typicus
ClearThe 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.
Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web?
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in natural marine environments, examining whether copepods and other zooplankton serve as an entry point for transferring microplastics from the water column into the marine food web.
Investigating Microplastic Ingestion by Zooplankton
This thesis investigated microplastic ingestion by four species of marine zooplankton, finding that the copepod Centropages typicus ingested nylon powder, polyethylene microbeads, and synthetic rope fibers. Exposure to microplastics caused an energy deficit in most species by displacing nutritious food, potentially reducing the energy available for zooplankton growth and reproduction with knock-on effects up the food chain.
Bioavailability and ingestion of microplastic by zooplankton in the natural environment
This study reviewed the bioavailability and ingestion of microplastics by marine zooplankton, which are particularly vulnerable because microplastic sizes overlap with their natural prey. Laboratory and field evidence shows zooplankton including copepods readily ingest microplastics, affecting energy budgets and potentially transferring particles up the food chain.
Microplastics Residence Time in Marine Copepods: An Experimental Study
Laboratory experiments measured how long microplastics remain in marine copepods after ingestion, finding that residence times vary by particle type and size, with some particles persisting longer than others and informing estimates of microplastic transfer through marine food webs.
Feeding of Marine Zooplankton on Microplastic Fibers
Researchers examined the effects of nylon microfibers on feeding rates of calanoid copepods (Eucalanus pileatus) and doliolids (Dolioletta gegenbauri) at near-environmental concentrations alongside diatoms, finding that fiber ingestion occurred and microplastics were incorporated into fecal pellets, potentially affecting zooplankton nutrition and energy transfer in marine food webs.
Does microplastic ingestion by zooplankton affect predator-prey interactions? An experimental study on larviphagy
Filter feeders consumed significantly fewer zooplankton prey that had ingested microplastics compared to uncontaminated prey, suggesting that microplastic ingestion makes zooplankton less appealing or nutritious. This effect on predation could have cascading consequences for marine food webs.
Modeling the differential functional responses and selectivity of a marine copepod to nano/microplastics in mixture
This study modeled how the marine copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris selects between food and nano/microplastics of different sizes in mixed feeding scenarios, using bioenergetic modeling. The copepod showed size-dependent selectivity, preferentially ingesting certain particle size classes over others, with implications for predicting nano- and microplastic accumulation in zooplankton across naturally heterogeneous marine particle environments.
First assessment of anthropogenic particle ingestion in Pontellid copepods: Pontella mediterranea as a potential microplastic reservoir in the Neuston
This Mediterranean study found that the neustonic copepod Pontella mediterranea, which lives at the ocean surface, ingests anthropogenic particles including microplastics, and due to its very high abundance could collectively concentrate an average of 45 particles per square meter of sea surface. Most ingested particles were cellulose acetate and cotton fibers, not classic plastic polymers. Because these copepods are globally abundant and sit at the base of marine food webs, their role as a reservoir and vector of anthropogenic particles into ocean food chains deserves greater attention.
Microplastics alter feeding selectivity and faecal density in the copepod Calanus helgolandicus
This study found that microplastic exposure altered the feeding preferences and fecal characteristics of the copepod Calanus helgolandicus, a key marine zooplankton species. Changes in copepod feeding behavior can affect food web dynamics and the efficiency of carbon transport from surface waters to the deep ocean.
Microplastic ingestion in marine mesozooplankton species associated with functional feeding traits
This study examined microplastic ingestion in marine mesozooplankton species with different functional traits, finding that feeding mode, body size, and habitat use are key predictors of plastic uptake across zooplankton communities.
In situ microplastic ingestion by neritic zooplankton of the central Mexican Pacific
Researchers documented in situ microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in two bays of the central Mexican Pacific, finding that copepods, decapod larvae, and chaetognaths ingested microplastics, predominantly fibers, with higher rates during the rainy season.
Functional study of the ingestion and excretion of microplastics by marine coastal copepods
This study examined how marine coastal copepods ingest and excrete microplastics and assessed their role as vectors for plastic dispersal in the water column. Copepods readily ingested microplastics, retained particles for variable periods depending on size and feeding rate, and excreted aggregated fecal pellets that could redistribute plastics vertically in the ocean.
Occurrence and ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton in Kenya's marine environment: first documented evidence
Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in Kenyan coastal waters, finding an average of 110 microplastic particles per cubic metre at the sea surface, with 129 particles recovered from zooplankton including chaetognaths, copepods, amphipods, and fish larvae. Filaments dominated both water and ingested microplastics, comprising 76% and 97% of their respective compositions.
Small microplastic ingestion by the calanoid Centropages furcatus in the Gulf of Thailand
Researchers analyzed small microplastics ingested by the copepod Centropages furcatus in the Gulf of Thailand and found plastic particles in every sample examined. The average ingestion rate was among the highest recorded for this type of zooplankton, with polypropylene fragments smaller than 50 micrometers being the most common. The findings suggest that these tiny organisms could transfer significant amounts of microplastics up through the marine food chain.
Ingestion of Microplastics by Zooplankton in the Northeast Pacific Ocean
Researchers collected zooplankton from the northeast Pacific Ocean and found microplastics ingested by multiple species, demonstrating that microplastic uptake occurs throughout the open ocean zooplankton community far from coastlines.
Dietary effects of microplastics on the physiological and biochemical profiles of keystone secondary producers Oithona dissimilis (Lindberg,1941)
This study examined how microplastic ingestion affects the physiology and nutrition of a small marine copepod. The copepods showed reduced survival and reproductive output when fed microplastics alongside their natural diet, suggesting that plastic particles displace nutritious food and impair the health of zooplankton that are foundational to ocean food webs.
Microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in surf zone waters of sandy beaches: Are copepods potential reservoirs of these emerging pollutants?
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by tiny zooplankton species in the surf zone of Atlantic beaches in southern Brazil. They found microplastics in the water at concentrations up to 1,750 items per cubic meter, with fibers being the most common type, and confirmed that copepods were ingesting these particles. The study suggests that zooplankton in turbulent nearshore waters may act as reservoirs that introduce microplastics into marine food webs.
Microplastics Ingestion by Copepods in Two Contrasting Seasons: A Case Study from the Terminos Lagoon, Southern Gulf of Mexico
Researchers studied microplastic ingestion by copepods across two contrasting seasons in a marine environment, finding that ingestion rates and particle types varied with seasonal changes in microplastic availability and copepod feeding behavior. Fibers were the most frequently ingested particle type.
Microplastic ingestion by copepods in a coastal environment of the Gulf of California, Mexico
Copepods are tiny crustaceans that form a critical link in ocean food webs, and this study found that they were ingesting microplastics in Mexico's Gulf of California — even in samples collected as far back as 2003, before microplastic awareness was widespread. The presence of microplastics in archived zooplankton samples suggests contamination has been ongoing for decades in this region. Because copepods are eaten by fish and other marine animals, their microplastic ingestion represents an early entry point into the marine food chain.
Neustonic microplastic and zooplankton in the North Western Mediterranean Sea
Researchers measured microplastic and zooplankton abundance in surface waters of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea and found plastics at 90% of stations sampled, with microplastic densities comparable to zooplankton in some areas. The study highlights the potential for competition or confusion between microplastics and food items for zooplankton in this sea.
Global Meta-Analysis and Review of Microplastic in Marine Copepods
This global meta-analysis examines how copepods — tiny crustaceans at the base of the ocean food chain — interact with microplastics. It finds that despite individually low ingestion rates, the sheer abundance of copepods makes them significant microplastic reservoirs, with potential consequences that ripple up the food chain to fish and ultimately humans.
Tracking Nano- and Microplastics Accumulation and Egestion in a Marine Copepod by Novel Fluorescent AIEgens: Kinetic Modeling of the Rhythm Behavior
Researchers used advanced fluorescent probes to precisely track how a marine copepod species takes in and expels nano- and microplastic particles of different sizes and surface types. They found that the copepods followed rhythmic feeding and excretion patterns, with smaller nanoplastics accumulating more readily and being expelled more slowly than larger particles. The study provides detailed data on how tiny marine organisms process plastic particles, which is important for understanding how plastics move through ocean food webs.
Microplastic Ingestion by Zooplankton
This study examined whether tiny marine animals called zooplankton can ingest microplastics, and researchers found that thirteen different zooplankton species consumed plastic beads of various sizes. The plastics also stuck to the animals' outer shells and significantly reduced their normal feeding on algae, suggesting that microplastic pollution could disrupt the base of the marine food web.