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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Marine Litter Impact on Sandy Beach Fauna: A Review to Obtain an Indication of Where Research Should Contribute More
Clear>b/b<: distribution and levels of contamination on the benthic biodiversity
Researchers assessed environmental health of sandy beaches by measuring microplastic distribution and contamination levels in biological communities, finding that MP abundance correlated with beach use intensity and the presence of nearby stormwater outfalls.
Effects of microplastics pollution on the abundance and composition of interstitial meiofauna
Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in beach sediments negatively affected the abundance and community composition of meiofauna at lower intertidal levels on urban Colombian beaches, with microplastics explaining 39% of community variation in the most heavily impacted zone.
Marine litter: trends and impacts in marine fauna
This review synthesizes evidence on marine litter sources, distribution, and ecological impacts, with particular focus on microplastics as a pervasive contaminant across all marine habitats. It finds that microplastics threaten marine life through ingestion, entanglement, and chemical transport, with impacts spanning trophic levels from plankton to large marine mammals.
Sediment grain size determines microplastic exposure landscapes for sandy beach macroinfauna
Researchers studied microplastic distribution across sandy beach zones to understand exposure landscapes for intertidal organisms. They found that sediment grain size, rather than beach zonation, was the primary factor determining microplastic abundance, providing important guidance for designing sampling surveys and assessing ecological risk from microplastic pollution on beaches.
Microplastic pollution on sandy beaches of Puerto Rico
Researchers sampled sand from six northern beaches of Puerto Rico to determine microplastic abundance and composition, documenting the extent of microplastic pollution on Caribbean island coastal beaches that are considered biodiversity hotspots.
Sediment matters as a route of microplastic exposure: A call for more research on the benthic compartment
Researchers conducted a systematic review highlighting that most microplastic studies focus on pelagic species in water-only exposures, despite evidence that sediment acts as a major sink for marine microplastics. The study calls for more research on sediment as an important exposure pathway for benthic invertebrates, recommending ecologically relevant concentrations and durations in future experiments.
The influence of microplastics pollution on the feeding behavior of a prominent sandy beach amphipod, Orchestoidea tuberculata (Nicolet, 1849)
Microplastic pollution was found to reduce feeding activity and slow growth in a beach amphipod (small crustacean), even at environmentally relevant concentrations. This suggests microplastics can disrupt energy balance and population health in small invertebrates that play important roles in sandy beach ecosystems.
Multiple species ingest microplastic but few reflect sediment and water pollution on sandy beaches: A baseline for biomonitoring
Researchers surveyed 45 species on sandy beaches and found that while many animals ingest microplastics, only a small fraction of species ingested them in proportion to how polluted the surrounding water and sediment actually were. This means choosing the right "biomonitor" species matters enormously — most animals are poor proxies for actual pollution levels. The study provides a critical baseline for designing reliable coastal microplastic monitoring programs.
Impacts of Micro- and Nano-Sized Plastic Particles on Benthic Invertebrates: A Literature Review and Gap Analysis
Researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review of 330 papers examining the effects of micro- and nano-sized plastics on benthic invertebrates that live in aquatic sediments. They found that while plastic particles can cause both physical harm through ingestion and chemical effects through leaching of additives, the vast majority of existing studies have focused on pelagic rather than benthic organisms. The review identifies significant research gaps and calls for more studies on sediment-dwelling species, which face disproportionately high exposure due to plastic particle accumulation in sediments.
Towards the suitable monitoring of ingestion of microplastics by marine biota: A review
This review assessed various monitoring methods for detecting microplastic ingestion by marine biota, comparing laboratory and field-based approaches. The authors recommend method selection based on organism type and research question and call for more consistent reporting standards to enable cross-study comparison.
Amounts, Sources, Fates and Ecological Impacts of Marine Litter and Microplastics in the Western Indian Ocean Region: A Review and Recommendations for Actions
This review synthesizes 147 marine litter studies from the Western Indian Ocean region spanning 1973-2021, characterizing quantities and composition of litter across ecosystem compartments, identifying urban runoff and beachgoers as dominant sources, summarizing organism interactions with litter, and providing recommendations to address knowledge gaps and regional management needs.
The influence of depositional environment on the abundance of microplastic pollution on beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK
Researchers assessed the extent and variability of microplastic pollution across multiple beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK, finding that depositional environment characteristics significantly influenced the abundance and distribution of microplastic contamination in beach sand.
Can the Atlantic ghost crab be a potential biomonitor of microplastic pollution of sandy beaches sediment?
Researchers tested the Atlantic ghost crab as a biomonitor for beach microplastic pollution, finding that the types of microplastics in crab gut contents closely mirrored those in beach sediment — confirming sediment as the main ingestion source — but that the crab's broad diet made it an unreliable indicator of overall contamination levels across beaches with different urbanization.
The Current and Prospective State of Microplastic Contamination in the Marine Ecosystem
This review assesses the current state of microplastic contamination research in marine ecosystems, identifying strengths and gaps in published literature and recommending new focus areas including marine polymer degradation, advanced sampling methods, and the consequences of research-generated microplastic pollution.
Microplastics in invertebrates on soft shores in Hong Kong: Influence of habitat, taxa and feeding mode
Researchers surveyed microplastic occurrence in 38 invertebrate species across 18 mudflats and sandy beaches in Hong Kong, finding that feeding mode and habitat type were stronger predictors of microplastic ingestion than taxonomic group, with suspension feeders in mudflat environments showing the highest contamination. The study provides a broad baseline for microplastic uptake across coastal invertebrate communities.
Tools and constraints in monitoring interactions between marine litter and megafauna: Insights from case studies around the world
Researchers synthesized case studies from seven global monitoring programs on marine litter interactions with megafauna — including fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals — examining both macro-debris entanglement and microplastic ingestion, and discussed the critical need for standardized assessment methods to support international environmental policy.