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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of microplastics on the feeding rates of larvae of a coastal fish: direct consumption, trophic transfer, and effects on growth and survival
ClearEffects of Microplastics on the Feeding Rates of Larvae of a Coastal Fish: Direct Consumption, Trophic Transfer, and Effects on Growth and Survival
Microplastics in seawater reduced the feeding rates of California grunion larvae and could be transferred from prey (copepods) to fish, indicating trophic transfer is possible. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution may impair fish growth and survival by reducing food intake in early life stages.
Impacts of microplastics on coastal biota and the potential for trophic transfer
This research investigated how microplastics affect coastal marine organisms and whether they transfer up the food chain, finding that beach invertebrates readily ingest microplastics and show behavioral changes, and that contaminated prey can transfer plastics to predators. The results raise concerns about cascading effects through 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.
Effect of alternative natural diet on microplastic ingestion, functional responses and trophic transfer in a tri-trophic coastal pelagic food web
Researchers studied how microplastics move through a three-level marine food chain, from zooplankton prey to planktivorous fish, and how the availability of natural food affects microplastic ingestion. When natural food was scarce, organisms consumed more microplastics, and the particles transferred efficiently up the food chain. This study demonstrates that microplastics in the ocean can accumulate through the food web and reach fish species that humans commonly eat.
Effects of microplastics on juveniles of the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps): Confusion with prey, reduction of the predatory performance and efficiency, and possible influence of developmental conditions
Researchers tested whether juvenile common goby fish ingest microplastics and whether their presence affects predatory performance. The study found that fish confused microplastics with prey, and that microplastic presence reduced predatory efficiency, with developmental conditions in different estuaries also influencing the fish's ability to distinguish between food and plastic particles.
Are Microplastics Impairing Marine Fish Larviculture?—Preliminary Results with Argyrosomus regius
Meagre larvae exposed to polyethylene microplastics for 7 hours ingested particles regardless of concentration, and at the highest dose (10 mg/L) showed reduced feeding activity, altered oxidative stress markers, and neurotoxicity indicators, suggesting short-term physiological impairment.
Decreased growth and survival in small juvenile fish, after chronic exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic
Researchers exposed juvenile glassfish to environmentally realistic concentrations of both virgin and harbor-collected microplastics for 95 days, finding that fish in plastic-fed groups grew significantly less in length, depth, and mass, and had lower survival probability than controls.
Trophic transfer of nanoplastics reduces larval survival of marine fish more than waterborne exposure
This study compared direct waterborne exposure versus trophic transfer of micro- and nanoplastics on marine fish larvae, finding that trophic transfer caused significantly higher larval mortality. The results suggest that dietary uptake through the food web is a more dangerous exposure route than direct water contact for early-stage fish.
Trophic transfer of microplastics in an estuarine food chain and the effects of a sorbed legacy pollutant
Researchers investigated microplastic trophic transfer using a model estuarine food chain of tintinnids (single-celled organisms) and larval silversides fish. They found that fish ingested significantly more microplastics through contaminated prey than through direct exposure, and larvae that consumed DDT-treated microspheres showed increased feeding on contaminated prey. Larvae exposed to microplastics had significantly lower body weight after 16 days, demonstrating that trophic transfer is a meaningful route of microplastic exposure with measurable harmful effects.
Study of feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination in selected creek fishes of northeastern Arabian Sea: A multi-species approach
Researchers studied the feeding biology and diet-associated microplastic contamination of selected fish species, finding that feeding habits directly influence the quantity and type of microplastics ingested. The results demonstrate that trophic position and prey preferences are key predictors of microplastic exposure in wild fish.
Microplastic contamination of coral reef fish larvae of the Great Barrier Reef: baseline data and influences of oceanographic and ecological features
This study found microplastic contamination in coral reef fish larvae from the Great Barrier Reef, where larval fish are uniquely vulnerable because microplastics overlap in size with their natural zooplankton prey and are concentrated by the same oceanographic processes. Ingestion of microplastics by larvae could impair early development and recruitment to reef fish populations.
A meta-analysis of the effects of exposure to microplastics on fish and aquatic invertebrates
Microplastic effects on fish and aquatic invertebrates were highly variable across taxa, but the most consistent finding was reduced consumption of natural prey when microplastics were present; zooplankton and other prey organisms appeared particularly susceptible, with potential food web ramifications.
Effects of microplastic exposure on the body condition and behaviour of planktivorous reef fish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
Researchers exposed juvenile reef fish to microplastics at various concentrations and found no significant effects on growth, body condition, or behavior when plastic particles were the same size as their food. However, when particle size was reduced to roughly a quarter of the food size, fish ingested dramatically more plastics, and replacing food with plastic harmed their growth. The findings suggest that as plastics fragment into smaller pieces in the ocean, they become increasingly problematic for planktivorous species.
Microplastics do not affect the feeding rates of a marine predator
Researchers exposed a marine predatory fish to microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations and measured feeding rate, finding no significant effect on prey capture behavior, suggesting that concerns about microplastics disrupting predator feeding may not apply at current environmental concentrations.
Microplastic contamination of coral reef fish larvae of the Great Barrier Reef: baseline data and influences of oceanographic and ecological features
Researchers found microplastics in coral reef fish larvae collected from the Great Barrier Reef, with particles concentrated by the same oceanographic processes that aggregate zooplankton prey. The similarity in size between microplastics and natural prey items increases the likelihood of accidental ingestion by larvae.
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.
Assessing size-based exposure to microplastic particles and ingestion pathways in zooplankton and herring in a coastal pelagic ecosystem of British Columbia, Canada
Researchers assessed size-based microplastic exposure and ingestion pathways in zooplankton and larval Pacific herring in British Columbia's coastal waters, finding evidence of both direct consumption and trophic transfer of microplastics through the pelagic food web.
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.
Microplastics impact simple aquatic food web dynamics through reduced zooplankton feeding and potentially releasing algae from consumer control
Researchers investigated how environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics affect freshwater food web dynamics using two zooplankton species. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced zooplankton feeding rates, which could potentially release algae from consumer control and disrupt aquatic food chain balance.
Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics are ingested and transferred through a planktonic food web, with particles passing from primary producers to zooplankton grazers and on to predatory plankton, establishing trophic transfer as a real pathway for microplastic movement through marine food chains.