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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Gooseneck barnacles ( Lepas spp.) ingest microplastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
ClearMicroplastic ingestion by pelagic gooseneck barnacles (Lepas spp.) and other insights on their biology and ecology in the South Pacific Ocean
This study examined microplastic ingestion by pelagic gooseneck barnacles (Lepas spp.) in the South Pacific Ocean, species considered highly capable of microplastic ingestion among rafting organisms. Microplastics were found in barnacles across sampling sites, and the study provided ecological context for understanding the role of rafting organisms in concentrating and transporting plastic pollution in open-ocean ecosystems.
Ingestion of Microplastics by Zooplankton in the Northeast Pacific Ocean
Researchers collected zooplankton from the northeast Pacific Ocean and found microplastics ingested by multiple species, demonstrating that microplastic uptake occurs throughout the open ocean zooplankton community far from coastlines.
In situ microplastic ingestion by neritic zooplankton of the central Mexican Pacific
Researchers documented in situ microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in two bays of the central Mexican Pacific, finding that copepods, decapod larvae, and chaetognaths ingested microplastics, predominantly fibers, with higher rates during the rainy season.
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.
Episodic records of jellyfish ingestion of plastic items reveal a novel pathway for trophic transference of marine litter
Researchers documented for the first time that jellyfish ingest macroplastic debris, revealing a previously overlooked pathway by which plastic pollution travels up the marine food chain. This finding raises fresh concern about how widely plastic is spreading through ocean ecosystems via invertebrates, which make up the vast majority of marine life.
Microplastic ingestion by copepods in a coastal environment of the Gulf of California, Mexico
Copepods are tiny crustaceans that form a critical link in ocean food webs, and this study found that they were ingesting microplastics in Mexico's Gulf of California — even in samples collected as far back as 2003, before microplastic awareness was widespread. The presence of microplastics in archived zooplankton samples suggests contamination has been ongoing for decades in this region. Because copepods are eaten by fish and other marine animals, their microplastic ingestion represents an early entry point into the marine food chain.
Extent and reproduction of coastal species on plastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Researchers found 37 coastal invertebrate taxa colonizing plastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, many reproducing in the open ocean, demonstrating that plastic pollution enables coastal species to establish neopelagic communities far from shore.
Microplastic burden in marine benthic invertebrates depends on species traits and feeding ecology within biogeographical provinces
Researchers analyzed microplastic levels in the bodies of marine bottom-dwelling invertebrates across different ocean regions and found that the amount of microplastic ingested depended more on the animals' feeding strategies and body traits than on local pollution levels alone. Filter-feeding and deposit-feeding species accumulated the most particles. The study suggests that simply measuring environmental microplastic concentrations may not accurately predict how much wildlife in an area is actually ingesting.
Ingestion of Microplastics in the Planktonic Copepod from the Indonesian Throughflow Pathways
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion by three size classes of marine copepods — tiny crustaceans that form the base of ocean food webs — along the Indonesian Throughflow, one of the world's major ocean current systems. Fiber microplastics dominated ingested particles (87%), and seven polymer types were identified in copepod bodies. Because copepods are eaten by virtually everything in the ocean, their ingestion of microplastics creates a direct pathway for plastic particles and associated chemicals to move up the food chain toward fish and ultimately humans.
Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web?
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in natural marine environments, examining whether copepods and other zooplankton serve as an entry point for transferring microplastics from the water column into the marine food web.
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.
Presence of microplastics in benthic and epibenthic organisms: Influence of habitat, feeding mode and trophic level
This study examined microplastic occurrence in benthic and epibenthic invertebrates from the Western English Channel, finding that habitat type, feeding mode, and trophic level all influenced microplastic ingestion rates. The results suggest that bottom-dwelling filter feeders and deposit feeders are among the most exposed organisms in seafloor food webs.
Microplastic intake in epi- and mesopelagic fish and squid species from an oceanic environment (NE Atlantic)
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion in epi- and mesopelagic fish and squid species from the open NE Atlantic Ocean, documenting contamination in oceanic species that may confuse microplastics with similarly sized and colored planktonic prey.
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.
Patterns of suspended and salp‐ingested microplastic debris in the North Pacific investigated with epifluorescence microscopy
Researchers modified epifluorescence microscopy methods to quantify mini-microplastics smaller than 333 micrometres from filtered seawater and salp stomach contents in the North Pacific, finding concentrations 5-7 orders of magnitude higher than those reported for larger microplastics. Every salp examined had ingested mini-microplastics regardless of species or oceanic region, and salps selectively ingested smaller plastic particles than were available in the surrounding water.
Anthropogenic fibers and microplastics in the pelagic gooseneck barnacle Lepas (Lepas) anatifera in Capo Milazzo Marine Protected Area (Tyrrhenian Sea): A first characterization
Researchers examined gooseneck barnacles collected from a marine protected area in the Tyrrhenian Sea and found microplastics and synthetic fibers in nearly a third of them, suggesting these filter-feeding organisms could serve as inexpensive, widely distributed biological indicators for monitoring microplastic contamination in coastal waters.
Abundance, characteristics, and risk assessment of microplastics in echinoderms along the Western Cape coastline, South Africa
Researchers sampled echinoderms across 14 rocky shore sites in South Africa and measured microplastic abundance, characteristics, and ecological risk by feeding type, providing first data on microplastic prevalence in this understudied invertebrate group and identifying which feeding strategies lead to higher microplastic ingestion.
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.
Occurrence and ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton in Kenya's marine environment: first documented evidence
Researchers documented the first evidence of microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in Kenyan coastal waters, finding an average of 110 microplastic particles per cubic metre at the sea surface, with 129 particles recovered from zooplankton including chaetognaths, copepods, amphipods, and fish larvae. Filaments dominated both water and ingested microplastics, comprising 76% and 97% of their respective compositions.
Microplastics ingestion by deep-sea decapod crustaceans from the Western Mediterranean
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by four deep-sea decapod crustacean species in the Sardinian and Catalan regions of the Western Mediterranean, analyzing gastrointestinal tracts from 210 individuals to assess abundance, characterization, and species- and region-level differences, finding ingestion prevalence of approximately 70%.
Microplastic ingestion by polar marine invertebrates with different feeding types
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by benthic Arctic and Antarctic invertebrates including brittlestars, starfish, and bivalves, finding that brittlestars ingested significantly more plastic fibers per body weight than other taxa, suggesting that opportunistic feeding behavior increases microplastic exposure compared to suspension or deposit feeding strategies in polar environments.
Occurrence of small microplastics in the salp Salpa fusiformis in the Kuroshio region
Researchers used filter-feeding salps — jellyfish-like animals that migrate between surface waters and the deep ocean each day — as living samplers to estimate the density of tiny microplastics too small for standard nets to catch. They found microplastics in 98% of salp guts around Japan's Kuroshio Current, with concentrations reaching over 7,000 particles per cubic meter. Because salps sink their fecal pellets to the ocean floor, they may be accelerating the transfer of microplastics from surface waters into deeper ocean layers.
Biodisponibilidad y bioacumulación de microplásticos en el zooplancton marino de un área marina protegida del Caribe
Researchers evaluated microplastic bioavailability and bioconcentration across seven zooplankton taxonomic groups in a Caribbean Marine Protected Area, finding microplastic ingestion during two contrasting hydroclimate seasons using oblique net tows at twelve stations.
Relative Abundance of Floating Plastic Debris and Neuston in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean
Researchers examined the relative abundance of floating plastic debris versus neuston organisms in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, finding significant knowledge gaps in understanding how accumulating plastic in subtropical gyres affects surface-associated marine life. The study argues that removing floating debris is necessary to prevent harm to neuston communities and limit secondary microplastic formation.