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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics Alter Predator Preferences of Prey through Associative Learning
ClearMicroplastics Alter Predator Preferences of Prey throughAssociative Learning
Researchers used the nematode C. elegans to show that microplastic-contaminated food causes animals to prefer cleaner food sources through associative learning, and that prior experience with contaminated food shapes these preferences — suggesting ecological feeding interactions may be broadly altered by plastic pollution.
Chronic exposure to polyethylene and tire wear particles changes the associative preferences in cyprinid fishes
This study exposed native crucian carp and invasive gibel carp to polyethylene and tire wear particle microplastics over time, finding that chronic exposure altered associative preferences in both species. The results suggest that microplastic pollution may affect cognitive functions in fish and could influence competitive dynamics between native and invasive species.
The role of microbe-microplastic associations in marine Nematode feeding behaviors
Researchers found that microbial biofilms growing on microplastics influenced marine nematode feeding behavior, with nematodes showing preferential consumption of biofilm-coated particles, suggesting that microbial colonization plays a key role in why organisms ingest microplastics.
Can Fish Escape the Evolutionary Trap Induced by Microplastics?
Researchers tested three fish species—bass, carp, and goldfish—to quantify how their sensory systems and social context influence microplastic ingestion. Bass responded to visual food cues, carp to olfactory ones, and goldfish relied on oral processing; group size and fasting time altered MP ingestion, showing that species-specific foraging strategies create an evolutionary trap around microplastics.
Transgenerational neurotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics induced by oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers exposed the roundworm C. elegans to polystyrene microplastics and tracked the effects across five generations. They found that microplastic exposure caused nerve damage and oxidative stress that persisted in offspring even when those generations were not directly exposed, suggesting microplastics can have lasting effects passed down through generations.
Neurotoxicity induced by aged microplastics from plastic bowls: Abnormal neurotransmission in Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers found that microplastics released from aged plastic bowls caused nerve damage in the roundworm C. elegans at environmentally realistic concentrations. The aged microplastics disrupted neurotransmitter systems including dopamine and serotonin, leading to impaired movement. This study is concerning because it shows that everyday plastic items we use for food can release microplastics that have neurotoxic effects.
Species-specific effects of long-term microplastic exposure on the population growth of nematodes, with a focus on microplastic ingestion
Scientists conducted long-term microplastic exposure experiments on freshwater nematode species and found species-specific effects on population growth, with ingestion rates and harm varying substantially across species despite identical exposure conditions.
Microplastic ingestion affects the lateralised processing of predator stimuli in fish
Researchers fed zebrafish food containing polyethylene or biodegradable microplastics for 20 days and tested their brain lateralization, which reflects how information processing is divided between brain hemispheres. While standard rotation and mirror tests showed no changes, the fish displayed disrupted lateralization when confronted with a predator model. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can impair specific cognitive responses in fish, particularly those related to predator avoidance.
Microplastic pollution and nutrient enrichment shift the diet of freshwater macroinvertebrates
Researchers studied how microplastic pollution and excess nutrients together affect the feeding behavior of freshwater invertebrates in controlled experiments. They found that both conventional and biodegradable microplastics shifted what the organisms chose to eat, and these effects were amplified when combined with nutrient enrichment. The study suggests that microplastic pollution interacts with other common environmental stressors to alter freshwater food webs.
Ants avoid food contaminated with micro- and nanoplastics
Researchers tested whether acrobat ants (Crematogaster scutellaris) could detect polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics in food, finding that workers preferentially fed on uncontaminated solutions in the first 10 minutes, though preference disappeared after feeding satiation and fluorescent imaging confirmed plastic accumulation in ant mouthparts.
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.
Microplastics altered cellular responses, physiology, behaviour, and regeneration of planarians feeding on contaminated prey
Researchers found that planarians feeding on microplastic-contaminated prey showed altered behavior, impaired physiology, and reduced regeneration capacity, demonstrating that microplastics can transfer through freshwater food chains and harm predatory invertebrates.
Microplastics alter feeding strategies of a coral reef organism
Researchers investigated how microplastics alter the feeding behavior of large benthic foraminifera Amphistegina gibbosa by offering pristine and conditioned microplastic particles alongside live Artemia nauplii in controlled incubation experiments. They found that organisms selectively avoided pristine microplastics but interacted with conditioned microplastics at rates similar to prey, suggesting that environmental aging and biofilm formation on microplastics increases their ecological impact.
Selective ingestion and response by Daphnia magna to environmental challenges of microplastics
Researchers used fluorescent microplastics labeled with aggregation-induced emission markers to investigate how Daphnia magna selectively ingests different types of plastic particles, finding that particle type, size, and surface chemistry influence ingestion patterns and toxicological response.
Microplastics influence size-selected zebrafish behaviour
Scientists exposed fish to microplastics (tiny plastic particles) and found that the contamination changed how the fish behaved - making them less bold and exploratory, but causing them to eat more often. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment, including in seafood we eat, and this study shows these particles can alter animal behavior in ways that might affect entire food chains. The findings help us understand how plastic pollution could be disrupting aquatic ecosystems that humans depend on for food.
Biochemical and physiological effects of multigenerational exposure to spheric polystyrene microplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers found that multigenerational exposure of C. elegans to polystyrene microplastics at low concentrations triggered oxidative stress, increased detoxification enzyme activity, and caused accumulating physiological effects across five consecutive generations.
Enchytraeus crypticus Avoid Soil Spiked with Microplastic
Researchers conducted area-choice experiments with the soil invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus and found the worms actively avoided soils spiked with microplastics, suggesting behavioral avoidance as an ecologically relevant response. The preference to escape microplastic-contaminated soil was observed across multiple polymer types and size ranges.
Trophic transfer of microplastics in a model freshwater microcosm; lack of a consumer avoidance response
A model freshwater microcosm was used to test whether the aquatic plant Lemna minor could transfer microplastics to a consumer, finding that trophic transfer occurred and that the consumer did not avoid microplastic-contaminated food. The results confirm food-chain transfer of microplastics through simple aquatic systems and the lack of behavioral avoidance by primary consumers.
Food availability is crucial for effects of 1-μm polystyrene beads on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in freshwater sediments
Researchers found that the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the nematode C. elegans in freshwater sediments depended critically on food availability, with negative impacts on reproduction only emerging under low-food conditions.
Microplastic exposure increases predictability of predator avoidance strategies in hermit crabs
Researchers exposed European hermit crabs to microplastics and found the crabs became less cautious and more predictable in their predator-avoidance behavior, reducing their overall variation in response times. This behavioral shift suggests microplastic pollution may make these crabs more vulnerable to predation in the wild.
Early Detection of Contamination with Microplastics by Changing the Phototaxis of Freshwater Mesozooplankton to Paired Photostimulation
Researchers used changes in phototaxis behavior of aquatic microorganisms as an early detection indicator for microplastic contamination, demonstrating that behavioral assays can provide sensitive, low-cost monitoring of plastic pollution in water.
Nematode Uptake Preference toward Different Nanoplastics through Avoidance Behavior Regulation
Scientists discovered that tiny roundworms actively avoid certain nanoplastics based on their size and surface charge, with more toxic particles triggering stronger avoidance behavior through the insulin signaling pathway. Smaller (100 nm) and positively charged nanoplastics provoked the strongest defense response, leading to lower accumulation in the worms. Since this avoidance pathway is genetically similar across many species, the findings suggest that organisms throughout the food chain may preferentially ingest certain types of nanoplastics over others, affecting how these particles move through ecosystems toward humans.
Microplastics alter feeding selectivity and faecal density in the copepod, Calanus helgolandicus
Researchers investigated how microplastic ingestion affects feeding selectivity and fecal pellet density in the copepod Calanus helgolandicus. They found that exposure to microplastics altered the copepod's prey selection depending on particle size and shape, and also reduced the density of their fecal pellets. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could disrupt both the feeding behavior of key zooplankton species and the ocean's biological carbon pump by changing how fecal matter sinks.
Microplastics lead to behavioral disorders in soil nematode movement, foraging and food choice
Researchers investigated the effects of low-density polyethylene and biodegradable poly(lactic acid) blend microplastics on movement, foraging, and food choice behaviors of four soil nematode species in a soil-based modular test system, finding behavioral disorders that differed from agar plate assay results.