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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Ingestion and egestion of microplastic fibers in the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis: An experimental exposure
ClearIngestion of Microplastic Has Limited Impact on a Marine Larva
Laboratory experiments feeding polyethylene microspheres to sea urchin larvae found that ingestion rates scaled with concentration but that environmentally realistic levels had little effect on growth or survival. The study suggests that current ocean microplastic concentrations pose a limited threat to this marine invertebrate larva, though it calls for broader testing across species.
Effect of chronic exposure to microplastic fibre ingestion in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus
Sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus) were chronically exposed to microplastic fibers to evaluate effects on growth and physiology over time. The study found that microfiber ingestion affected the sea cucumbers' health, with implications for echinoderm populations in habitats where microfibres are the dominant microplastic shape.
Microplastic ingestion and its effects οn sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus: A field study in a coastal East Mediterranean environment
Researchers collected wild sea urchins from three coastal sites in the Ionian Sea with different levels of human activity and examined them for microplastic ingestion and biological stress markers. They found microplastics in sea urchins at all sites, with patterns matching sediment contamination, but most biomarkers showed no significant stress response. The exception was increased detoxification enzyme activity, suggesting the animals may be mounting a subtle biological response to ingested microplastics.
Physical and chemical threats posed by micro(nano)plastic to sea urchins
This review analyzed the physical and chemical threats that micro- and nanoplastics pose to sea urchins across their lifespan, examining polymer-specific effects on both adult organisms and early larval stages given sea urchins' key ecological role as benthic grazers.
Interactive effects between sinking polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics deriving from water bottles and a benthic grazer
Sea urchins exposed to PET microplastics in their diet efficiently passed the particles through their digestive tract without significant tissue damage or oxidative stress, and their digestion slightly altered the surface structure of PET particles. The study suggests sea urchins are relatively resilient to PET microplastic exposure but may contribute to plastic fragmentation on the seafloor through their grazing activity.
Assessment of microplastic content in Diadema africanum sea urchin from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)
Scientists found microplastics in the digestive tracts and gonads of Diadema africanum sea urchins collected from the Canary Islands. Both sampling locations showed contamination, with fibers being the most common type found. This is one of the first studies documenting microplastic ingestion in this ecologically important sea urchin species.
Microplastic contamination in the digestive tract of sea urchins (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the digestive tracts of sea urchins from Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia, finding a relationship between microplastic accumulation in sediments and ingestion during foraging. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the polymer types of microplastics found in both sediment and sea urchin digestive tracts.
Nanoplastics affect the growth of sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) and damage gut health
Researchers exposed sea urchins to nanoplastics at two concentrations for 28 days and found significant reductions in growth rates and digestive enzyme activity. The nanoplastics caused visible damage to intestinal tissue and altered gut bacterial community composition, with several bacterial groups appearing exclusively in exposed animals. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure can harm marine invertebrates by disrupting both digestive function and gut microbial balance.
Evaluation of anthropogenic particles in Arbacia lixula sea urchins and their surrounding environments: seawater and coastal sediments
Researchers found anthropogenic particles (microplastics) in both gastrointestinal tracts and gonads of Arbacia lixula sea urchins, as well as in surrounding coastal sediment and seawater at La Palma Island, confirming bioaccumulation in this ecologically important species.
Microplastics impede larval urchin selective feeding
Researchers pre-exposed larval sea urchins to polystyrene microplastics and then tested their feeding ability, finding that prior exposure lengthened stomach filling time and impaired selective discrimination between algal food and plastic particles. These sub-lethal effects on feeding behavior could reduce post-settlement success in environments where food is limited.
How sea urchins face microplastics: Uptake, tissue distribution and immune system response
Sea urchins exposed to polystyrene microplastics showed particle uptake across multiple tissues (including coelom and gonads), dose-dependent changes in immune cell populations, and elevated oxidative stress, with smaller particles causing greater harm than larger ones.
Comparative analysis of microplastic content in water, sediments, and digestive traces of sea urchin Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778) on Untung Jawa Island and Tidung Island, Seribu Islands, Jakarta
Researchers compared microplastic levels in water, sediment, and the digestive tracts of sea urchins at two Indonesian island sites, finding microplastics across all compartments. Sea urchins appear to be useful indicators of microplastic contamination in coral reef ecosystems.
An assessment of the ability to ingest and excrete microplastics by filter-feeders: A case study with the Mediterranean mussel
Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were exposed to spherical polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations and examined for tissue-level effects and ingestion/egestion dynamics, with smaller particles showing greater retention and histological changes in digestive tissue. The study provides detailed pathophysiological evidence that MP size governs both retention time and the severity of tissue-level effects in marine filter feeders.
Mechanism underlying the toxicity of the microplastic fibre transfer in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus
Researchers investigated how microplastic fibers enter and move through sea cucumbers (Apostichopus japonicus), finding that fibers ingested via the respiratory tree entered the coelomic fluid and triggered immune cell responses, and that fiber characteristics — particularly length — determined the severity of tissue damage.
Are Microfibers a Threat to Marine Invertebrates? A Sea Urchin Toxicity Assessment.
This study tested the ecotoxicological effects of cotton, polyester, and mixed-fiber microfibers on sea urchin embryos, finding that synthetic polyester fibers caused the most significant developmental impairment. The results suggest that the rapid expansion of fast fashion and its associated synthetic textile waste is creating a meaningful ecotoxicological hazard for marine invertebrates.
Microplastics do not increase toxicity of a hydrophobic organic chemical to marine plankton
Sea urchin larvae actively ingested polyethylene microplastics at rates comparable to natural food particles, but co-exposure with a hydrophobic organic contaminant did not increase toxicity compared to contaminant alone. The results suggest that at tested concentrations, microplastics do not significantly amplify the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants to marine plankton.
Microplastics in specific tissues of wild sea urchins along the coastal areas of northern China
Sea urchins collected from 12 sites across nearly 3,000 km of northern China's coastline were analyzed for microplastic accumulation in specific tissues, with contamination detected at all sites and significant variation in abundance, type, and polymer composition across locations.
Ingestion and elimination of anthropogenic fibres and microplastic fragments by the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) of the NW Mediterranean Sea
Researchers found that 30–40% of European anchovies in the Ligurian Sea had ingested anthropogenic microparticles, primarily plastic fibers and fragments, with most fish containing only a single particle — suggesting relatively short retention times in the gut. The study found that larger plastic fragments may become trapped in the intestinal lumen, raising concerns about how long plastics and their associated toxins remain in commercially harvested fish.
The adverse effects of virgin microplastics on the fertilization and larval development of sea urchins
Researchers tested the effects of virgin microplastics on the fertilization and larval development of a marine organism, finding adverse effects on both fertilization success and larval survival at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Prevalence of Fibers as the Dominant Microplastic Fraction in the Digestive Tract of Three Commercially Important Fish Species (Sparus aurata Linneaeus 1758, Pagellus erythrinus Linneaeus 1758 and Chelon auratus Risso, 1810) from the Southeastern Coast of Istria, Northern Adriatic, Croatia
This study examined the digestive tracts of multiple marine organisms and found that synthetic fibers were the dominant microplastic type, making up the majority of particles found across species. The prevalence of fibers reflects the large contribution of textile washing to aquatic microplastic burdens.
Microplastic ingestion by the sandfish Holothuria scabra in Lampung and Sumbawa, Indonesia
Researchers found microplastics in 89% of sandfish sea cucumbers (Holothuria scabra) sampled from Indonesian coastal sites, with fiber shapes and transparent particles predominating, indicating these commercially important invertebrates readily ingest environmental microplastics.
Effects of food presence on microplastic ingestion and egestion in Mytilus galloprovincialis
The presence of the microalga Dunaliella salina as food significantly reduced egestion of polyethylene microplastics in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, with a single feeding episode preventing over 40% of MPs from being expelled over 24 hours. The finding suggests food presence causes microplastics to persist longer in mussel tissues, increasing exposure duration.
Insights into the uptake, elimination and accumulation of microplastics in mussel
Researchers investigated how mussels take up, eliminate, and accumulate high-density polyethylene microplastics smaller than 22 micrometers. They found that mussels cleared microplastics at the same rate as similarly sized food particles, but smaller particles (under 6 micrometers) were retained much longer in the digestive gland. After six days of depuration, about 85 percent of ingested microplastics were eliminated, but 2 to 6 percent remained embedded in digestive tissue, indicating that small microplastics can accumulate in filter-feeding organisms.
Effects of microplastics on the growth and behaviors of larval sea urchins heliocidaris crassispina
This study examined how microplastics of varying sizes and shapes affected the growth and behavior of larval sea urchins, finding that effects varied depending on the physical characteristics of the particles. Sea urchins are important reef grazers and their larvae are particularly vulnerable to contamination in the water column.