Microplastics alter feeding selectivity and faecal density in the copepod, Calanus helgolandicus
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Microplastics (1 μm–5 mm) are a ubiquitous marine contaminant of global concern, ingested by a wide range of marine taxa. Copepods are a key component of marine food webs, providing a source of food for higher trophic levels, and playing an important role in marine nutrient cycling. Microplastic ingestion has been documented in copepods, but knowledge gaps remain over how this affects feeding preference and faecal density. Here, we use exposure studies incorporating algal prey and microplastics of varying sizes and shapes at a concentration of 100 microplastics mL−1 to show: (1) prey selection by the copepod Calanus helgolandicus was affected by the size and shape of microplastics and algae they were exposed to; Exposure to nylon fibres resulted in a 6% decrease in ingestion of similar shaped chain-forming algae, whilst exposure to nylon fragments led to an 8% decrease in ingestion of a unicellular algae that were similar in shape and size. (2) Ingestion of microplastics with different densities altered the sinking rates of faecal pellets. Faeces containing low-density polyethylene sank significantly more slowly than controls, whilst sinking rates increased when faeces contained high-density polyethylene terephthalate. These results suggest that C. helgolandicus avoid ingesting algae that are similar in size and/or shape to the microplastic particles they are exposed to, potentially in a bid to avoid consuming the plastic.
Institutions: University of Exeter, Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,400
Awards: G231466169, G2343769913, GW4+ - a consortium of excellence in innovative research training, PML Oceans 2025 - Theme 3: Shelf and coastal processes, G3911275050, PML Adding Value, Marine LTSS: Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science, Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP), G4285377, Integrating Macroecology and Modelling to Elucidate Regulation of Services from Ecosystems (IMMERSE), G5171465564, PML Marine Life Support System (biodiversity, marine ecology and molecular science), G5485498931, G6256762016, Bioavailability and biological effects of microscopic plastic debris in the ocean, G8545739475
OpenAlex ID: W2949768455