Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2019
Article Tier 2

Ingestion 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.

2013 Environmental Science & Technology 388 citations
Article Tier 2

Feeding and digestion of the marine isopod Idotea emarginata challenged by poor food quality and microplastics

Laboratory feeding experiments with the marine isopod Idotea emarginata found that microplastic ingestion combined with poor food quality reduced the animal's ability to digest and absorb nutrients effectively, suggesting that microplastics can worsen nutritional stress in marine invertebrates already facing food limitation. The combined effects of dietary microplastics and nutritional deficiency could impair the fitness of marine invertebrates under real-world conditions.

2019 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the feeding rates of larvae of a coastal fish: direct consumption, trophic transfer, and effects on growth and survival

Researchers tested whether microplastics in seawater affect the feeding rates, growth, and survival of California Grunion fish larvae. They found that microplastics reduced feeding rates and demonstrated that trophic transfer of microplastics from zooplankton to larval fish occurs readily. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may impair early fish development by interfering with feeding behavior and introducing contaminants through the food chain.

2022 Marine Biology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of microplastics and global warming factors on early growth and development of the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus)

Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics, ocean acidification, and temperature increase on sea urchin larval development. Microplastics alone reduced larval growth by about 20%, but when combined with lowered pH, growth inhibition was significantly greater and morphological abnormalities appeared. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can compound the effects of climate change stressors on marine organisms during their most vulnerable developmental stages.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the effect of microplastics on marine invertebrates: the consequence of exposure of sea urchin larvae to polystyrene microplastics

Researchers exposed sea urchin larvae (Paracentrotus lividus) to polystyrene microplastics derived from commercial disposable plates and assessed effects on fertilization, embryogenesis, and larval development, finding significant impairment of early developmental stages at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics and ocean acidification on critical stages of sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) early development

Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastic pollution and ocean acidification on sea urchin early development, finding that acidified conditions amplified microplastic toxicity, disrupting fertilization, embryo development, and larval growth in Paracentrotus lividus.

2022 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2017 Marine Environmental Research 170 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects 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.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus as a bioeroder of plastic

The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus was found to actively erode and fragment plastic litter through its feeding behavior, converting larger plastic pieces into microplastics in the process. This unexpected role of sea urchins as biological agents of plastic fragmentation highlights how marine organisms can contribute to the generation and spread of microplastic pollution.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 61 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Feeding type affects microplastic ingestion in a coastal invertebrate community

Researchers exposed a coastal Baltic Sea invertebrate community — including mussels, crustaceans, and deposit feeders — to microplastic beads at three concentrations and found that feeding mode strongly determined ingestion rates, with filter-feeding bivalves accumulating significantly more particles than deposit feeders or free-swimming crustaceans.

2015 Marine Pollution Bulletin 421 citations
Article Tier 2

Zooplankton responses to environmentally relevant microplastic conditions at low food availability

Researchers exposed marine zooplankton to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics under realistic low-exposure conditions, measuring effects on feeding, reproduction, and survival over multiple generations. Even at low concentrations, chronic microplastic exposure reduced zooplankton fitness.

2024 SHAREOK (University of Oklahoma; Oklahoma State University; Central Oklahoma University)
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 46 citations
Article Tier 2

PET microplastics toxicity on marine key species is influenced by pH, particle size and food variations

Researchers tested the toxicity of PET microplastics on marine bacteria, algae, and sea urchin larvae under standard and acidified pH conditions. The study found that while bacteria and algae were not sensitive to PET pollution, sea urchin larvae experienced toxic effects that varied with particle size and were influenced by pH and food availability. The results suggest that interactions between microplastics and environmental stressors like ocean acidification need more attention to understand real-world impacts.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 145 citations
Article Tier 2

The observation of starch digestion in blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to microplastic particles under varied food conditions

Researchers exposed blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to microplastics under varying food availability conditions and monitored digestive performance, finding that microplastic ingestion disrupted starch digestion efficiency and that the effect was more pronounced when food was scarce.

2021 PLoS ONE 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion induces asymmetry and oxidative stress in larvae of the sea urchin Pseudechinus huttoni

Researchers exposed sea urchin (Pseudechinus huttoni) larvae to 1–5 µm microplastic spheres and found increased skeletal asymmetry and elevated reactive oxygen species, indicating that MP ingestion causes developmental disruption and oxidative stress during the sensitive larval stage.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 34 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and food shortage impair the byssal attachment of thick-shelled mussel Mytilus coruscus

Researchers found that microplastic exposure combined with food shortage significantly impaired byssal attachment in the mussel Mytilus coruscus, reducing thread production and adhesion strength, which could compromise mussel survival in polluted marine environments.

2021 Marine Environmental Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on digestive enzymes in the marine isopod Idotea emarginata

Researchers studied how microplastics affect digestive enzymes in a marine isopod, finding that while feeding rates did not change significantly with microplastic addition, enzyme activities showed variable responses. The results suggest that microplastics may subtly alter digestive processes in marine invertebrates even without obvious effects on feeding behavior.

2015 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut)
Article Tier 2

Response of sediment-dwelling bivalves to microplastics and its potential implications for benthic processes

This microcosm study found that microplastics affect the feeding, burrowing, and bioirrigation behaviors of two sediment-dwelling bivalve species, with effects that could alter benthic nutrient cycling. Changes in bivalve behavior caused by microplastic exposure have broader implications for the ecosystem services these organisms provide in marine sediments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Ingestion by a Benthic Amphipod in Different Feeding Modes

This study found that a small estuarine crustacean ingests microplastic beads differently depending on how it feeds — filter-feeding individuals ingested particles proportional to water concentrations, while deposit-feeders preferentially ingested larger particles that settled on the bottom. The findings suggest feeding behavior significantly influences how much and what size microplastics organisms accumulate.

2022 Journal of Water and Environment Technology 3 citations