Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Experimental accumulation of microplastics in acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite and its use in estimating microplastic concentration in coastal waters

Researchers assessed the potential of acorn barnacles (Amphibalanus amphitrite) as bioindicators for microplastic pollution, finding that these filter feeders accumulate polypropylene fibers and fragments in ways that could help estimate coastal water contamination levels.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Barnacles as potential bioindicator of microplastic pollution in Hong Kong

Researchers examined microplastic occurrence in four barnacle species collected from 30 sites across Hong Kong waters, finding microplastics — predominantly fibers — in all species and proposing barnacles as potential bioindicators of coastal microplastic pollution.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics on amphipods

Researchers exposed two amphipod species to environmentally relevant polyethylene microplastic concentrations and found increased mortality and oxidative stress, with species-specific sensitivity suggesting ecological impacts even at low exposure levels.

2022 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Are microplastics impacting shellfish?

Researchers investigated whether microplastic contamination measurably impacts shellfish physiology, growth, reproduction, and health outcomes, assessing the ecological and food safety implications of microplastic exposure in commercially and ecologically important bivalve species.

2024
Article Tier 2

Non-selective feeding on microplastics in the acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite: the implications in assessing barnacles as global microplastics bioindicators

Researchers studied microplastic ingestion by striped barnacles (Amphibalanus amphitrite) by exposing them to three plastic types, two sizes, and two concentrations, with and without biofilm coatings. Barnacles ingested microplastics non-selectively regardless of type or biofilm status, confirming them as useful bioindicators of plastic pollution in marine environments.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Responses to environmentally relevant microplastics are species-specific with dietary habit as a potential sensitivity indicator

Species-specific responses to environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations were assessed across multiple marine organisms within a functional group study. Results showed that responses differed substantially between species, indicating that single-species tests cannot reliably predict community-level effects of microplastic contamination.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 30 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

Toxic effects of pristine and aged polystyrene microplastics on selective and continuous larval culture of acorn barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite.

This study used mesocosm experiments to investigate the effects of microplastic pollution on freshwater zooplankton communities, finding significant reductions in cladoceran abundance and diversity at high microplastic concentrations. Community shifts could have cascading effects on higher trophic levels.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of Nanoplastics in Marine Larvae: A Case Study Using Barnacles, Amphibalanus amphitrite

Researchers tracked the fate of nanoplastics in barnacle larvae, finding that these tiny particles were ingested and could accumulate in larval tissues, with potential implications for early development and survival of marine invertebrates.

2018 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Barnacles as emerging sentinels of microplastic contamination: A global synthesis and analytical framing

Barnacles — the small crustaceans that encrust ship hulls and rocky shores — filter seawater continuously, making them promising sentinels for detecting microplastic pollution levels in the ocean. This global review of 14 field studies across seven countries found that barnacles consistently reflect local microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments of polyethylene and cellophane being most common. While barnacles show real potential as low-cost monitoring organisms, the authors call for standardized methods to make data from different regions and studies comparable.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Environmentally relevant microplastic exposure affects sediment-dwelling bivalves

Researchers exposed two species of sediment-dwelling bivalves to polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations and three size classes for four weeks. The study found species-specific responses including reduced body condition and altered burrowing behavior, suggesting that even at environmentally relevant concentrations, microplastics can affect the physiology and behavior of benthic bivalves.

2018 Environmental Pollution 195 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on larval development, settlement, and metamorphosis of the intertidal barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite

Barnacle larvae (Amphibalanus amphitrite) were exposed to polystyrene microplastics across all sizes and concentrations and showed no significant effects on mortality, development, settlement, or metamorphosis, even though nauplii could ingest and egest all tested sizes of particles. The study provides reassuring evidence that barnacle larvae can tolerate environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations without harm.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on bivalves: Are experimental settings reflecting conditions in the field?

A critical comparison of experimental microplastic studies on bivalves found that most laboratory studies used particle concentrations far exceeding environmental levels and polymer types that differ from field observations, concluding that many reported toxic effects may not be ecologically relevant and calling for environmentally realistic experimental designs.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 51 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Barnacles as silent sentinels of microplastic pollution: Evidence from Gujarat coast, India and a global meta-analysis of sessile marine species

This study found microplastics in all eight barnacle species sampled across 13 coastal sites in Gujarat, India, with fibers and fragments of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene predominating. A global meta-analysis confirmed that sessile marine organisms like barnacles serve as reliable bioindicators of local microplastic contamination levels.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Concentrations in Two Oregon Bivalve Species: Spatial, Temporal, and Species Variability

Pacific oysters and razor clams from Oregon were found to contain microplastics, with concentrations varying by species, location, and season. The findings have direct relevance for human health since both species are commercially harvested and consumed.

2019 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Barnacle analysis as a microplastic pollution bioindicator on the East Coast of Surabaya

A total of 196 microplastic particles were found in barnacles, water, and sediment on the east coast of Surabaya, with barnacles dominated by very small fragments in the 1-10 micron range. Amphibalanus amphitrite was identified as a potential bioindicator species for microplastic monitoring in coastal environments.

2024 PeerJ 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of macro - and microplastic on macrozoobenthos abundance in intertidal zone

This study assessed how macro- and microplastics affect the abundance of bottom-dwelling invertebrates in an intertidal zone, finding that plastic contamination is linked to reduced invertebrate diversity. The results highlight ecological impacts of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems that provide food resources for humans.

2018 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in particle mixing by benthic infauna induced by microplastics: implications for nitrogen cycling in marine sediments

Researchers found that increasing polypropylene microplastic concentrations impaired deep-burrowing behaviour of the marine worm Macroclymenella stewartensis but not the bivalve Macomona liliana, with microplastics also modifying interspecific relationships and thereby disrupting particle mixing and nutrient cycling processes in marine sediments.

2025 Marine Ecology Progress Series
Article Tier 2

Hidden threat: microplastics interaction with Antarctic benthic invertebrates

Researchers exposed three Antarctic benthic species, including a bivalve, to polyethylene microbeads to quantify ingestion rates and characterize microplastic interactions in Southern Ocean invertebrates, finding that these remote organisms ingest microplastics and highlighting significant gaps in understanding ecological consequences for Antarctic benthic biodiversity.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Intergenerational microplastics impact the intertidal barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite during the planktonic larval and benthic adult stages

Barnacles exposed to microplastics as larvae passed harmful effects on to their offspring, even when the offspring were not directly exposed, suggesting microplastics can cause intergenerational damage in marine invertebrates. These latent effects could threaten long-term zooplankton survival and marine ecosystem stability.

2020 Environmental Pollution 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Subtle ecosystem effects of microplastic exposure in marine mesocosms including fish

Researchers exposed marine mesocosm communities to polystyrene microplastic beads for two months, finding subtle but measurable effects including reduced barnacle density and slightly lower fish condition indices at moderate doses, while lugworms appeared unaffected despite ingesting the beads.

2022 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Effects of Environmental Concentrations of Microplastics on the Aquatic Snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Researchers examined the effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations on the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, assessing impacts on this benthic invertebrate in an understudied freshwater ecosystem context.

2021 Water Air & Soil Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Minimal impact at current environmental concentrations of microplastics on energy balance and physiological rates of the giant mussel Choromytilus chorus

The mid-term effects of microplastic ingestion at current higher environmental concentrations on the energy balance of marine invertebrates were evaluated. At realistic environmental concentrations, microplastics had minimal impact on energy budgets, suggesting that current field-level exposures may not cause significant energetic costs for studied marine invertebrate species.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 citations