Chemoreception drives plastic consumption in a hard coral

Allen, Austin S.; Seymour, Alexander C.; Rittschof, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.030

Cited by 183 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 65 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

108

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Indeed, numerous coral-reef inhabitants, including the corals themselves, efficiently capture bacteria, phytoplankton, zooplankton and small-sized detritus in the water advected over the reefs (Tranter and George, 1969;Yahel et al, 1998;Houlbreque and Ferrier-Pages, 2009). Although the studies of plastic ingestion in corals are yet very scarce, researchers recently demonstrated that scleractinian corals do capture and ingest microplastics, from 0.1 to 2 mm in length (Hall et al, 2015), and from 0.125 to 1 mm (Allen et al, 2017); matching the size range of plastic debris reported in our assessment. Mesopelagic fish assemblages have also been reported to be relevant feeders of plastic fragments in the size interval from 0.5 to 5 mm (Boerger et al, 2010;Davison and Asch, 2011;Foekema et al, 2013), and are especially abundant in the Red Sea, with nocturnal feeding migration to the surface particularly active in comparison with other world regions (Dypvik and Kaartvedt, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low Abundance of Plastic Fragments in the Surface Waters of the Red Sea

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The floating plastic debris along the Arabian coast of the Red Sea was sampled by using surface-trawling plankton nets. A total of 120 sampling sites were spread out over the near-shore waters along 1,500 km of coastline during seven cruises performed during 2016 and 2017. Plastic debris, dominated by millimeter-sized pieces, was constituted mostly of fragments of rigid objects (73%) followed by pieces of films (17%), fishing lines (6%), and foam (4%). These fragments were mainly made up by polyethylene (69%) and polypropylene (21%). Fibers, likely released from synthetic textiles, were ubiquitous and abundant, although were analyzed independently due to the risk of including non-plastic fibers and airborne contamination of samples in spite of the precautions taken. The plastic concentrations (excluding possible plastic fibers) contrasts with those found in other semi-closed seas, such as the neighboring Mediterranean. They were relatively low all over the Red Sea (<50,000 items km −2 ; mean ± SD = 3,546 ± 8,154 plastic item km −2 , 1.1 ± 3.0 g km −2 ) showing no clear spatial relationship with the distribution of coastal population. Results suggests a low plastic waste input from land as the most plausible explanation for this relative shortage of plastic in the surface waters of the Red Sea; however, the additional intervention of particular processes of surface plastic removal by fish or the filtering activity of the extensive coral reefs along the coastline cannot be discarded. In addition, our study highlights the relevance of determining specific regional conversion rates of mismanaged plastic waste to marine debris, accounting for the role of near-shore activities (e.g., beach tourism, recreational navigation), in order to estimate plastic waste inputs into the ocean.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low Abundance of Plastic Fragments in the Surface Waters of the Red Sea

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Selective feeding on biofilmed, weathered plastics does not always occur, however. In a series of lab experiments, Allen et al () observed that a scleractinian coral ingested virtually all microplastic fragments (seven different polymer types of 500 to 1,000 μm) offered but rejected similarly sized sand particles. In subsequent feeding experiments the corals ingested threefold to fivefold greater numbers of unweathered than fouled plastics.…”

Section: Fate Of Microplastics In the Oceanmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Global Perspective on Microplastics

Hale¹,

Seeley²,

Guardia³

et al. 2020

JGR Oceans

741

270

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Society has become increasingly reliant on plastics since commercial production began in about 1950. Their versatility, stability, light weight, and low production costs have fueled global demand. Most plastics are initially used and discarded on land. Nonetheless, the amount of microplastics in some oceanic compartments is predicted to double by 2030. To solve this global problem, we must understand plastic composition, physical forms, uses, transport, and fragmentation into microplastics (and nanoplastics). Plastic debris/microplastics arise from land disposal, wastewater treatment, tire wear, paint failure, textile washing, and at-sea losses. Riverine and atmospheric transport, storm water, and disasters facilitate releases. In surface waters plastics/microplastics weather, biofoul, aggregate, and sink, are ingested by organisms and redistributed by currents. Ocean sediments are likely the ultimate destination. Plastics release additives, concentrate environmental contaminants, and serve as substrates for biofilms, including exotic and pathogenic species. Microplastic abundance increases as fragment size decreases, as does the proportion of organisms capable of ingesting them. Particles <20 μm may penetrate cell membranes, exacerbating risks. Exposure can compromise feeding, metabolic processes, reproduction, and behavior. But more investigation is required to draw definitive conclusions. Human ingestion of contaminated seafood and water is a concern. Microplastics indoors present yet uncharacterized risks, magnified by the time we spend inside (>90%) and the abundance of polymeric products therein. Scientific challenges include improving microplastic sampling and characterization approaches, understanding long-term behavior, additive bioavailability, and organismal and ecosystem health risks. Solutions include improving globally based pollution prevention, developing degradable polymers and additives, and reducing consumption/expanding plastic reuse.

show abstract

“…Similarly, in corals, the particles moved deep into their polyps, wrapped in their mesenterial tissue. Since the tissue is responsible for the digestion, this raises concerns of the ability to ingest natural food (Hall et al 2015;Allen et al 2017). Research on corals is still scarce, but some negative impacts on the health of stony corals were documented with the potential to be sublethal in the long term (Reichert et al 2018;Tang et al 2018).…”

Section: The Physical Aspect: Consequences Of Microplastic Uptakementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some laboratory experiments concluded that bioavailability of plastics seems to be enhanced by particles that have been exposed to natural seawater for some time (Bråte et al 2018). Yet, Allen et al (2017) suggest that plastic contains phagostimulants that promote ingestion by corals. Interestingly, corals ingested more virgin plastic than plastics covered in microbial biofilm.…”

Section: Microplastics As a Vector For Pathogensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Prinz

Korez

2019

YOUMARES 9 - The Oceans: Our Research, Our Future

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Plastic has become indispensable for human life. When plastic debris is discarded into waterways, these items can interact with organisms. Of particular concern are microscopic plastic particles (microplastics) which are subject to ingestion by several taxa. This review summarizes the results of cutting-edge research about the interactions between a range of aquatic species and microplastics, including effects on biota physiology and secondary ingestion. Uptake pathways via digestive or ventilatory systems are discussed, including (1) the physical penetration of microplastic particles into cellular structures, (2) leaching of chemical additives or adsorbed persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and (3) consequences of bacterial or viral microbiota contamination associated with microplastic ingestion. Following uptake, a number of individual-level effects have been observed, including reduction of feeding activities, reduced growth and reproduction through cellular modifications, and oxidative stress. Microplastic-associated effects on marine biota have become increasingly investigated with growing concerns regarding human health through trophic transfer. We argue that research on the cellular interactions with microplastics provide an understanding of their impact to the organisms' fitness and, therefore, its ability to sustain their functional role in the ecosystem. The review summarizes information from 236 scientific publications. Of those, only 4.6% extrapolate their research of microplastic intake on individual species to the impact on ecosystem functioning. We emphasize the need for risk evaluation from organismal effects to an ecosystem level to effectively evaluate the effect of microplastic pollution on marine environments. Further studies are encouraged to investigate sublethal effects in the context of environmentally relevant microplastic pollution conditions.

show abstract

Chemoreception drives plastic consumption in a hard coral

Cited by 183 publications

References 65 publications

Low Abundance of Plastic Fragments in the Surface Waters of the Red Sea

Low Abundance of Plastic Fragments in the Surface Waters of the Red Sea

A Global Perspective on Microplastics

Understanding How Microplastics Affect Marine Biota on the Cellular Level Is Important for Assessing Ecosystem Function: A Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About