Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs
Significant quantities of plastic debris pollute nearly all the world's ecosystems, where it persists for decades and poses a considerable threat to flora and fauna. Much of the focus has been on the marine environment, with little information on the hazard posed by debris accumulating on beach...
Published in: | Journal of Hazardous Materials |
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Online Access: | https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/27cc5cd4-1ff0-4119-bb4e-c534e1988c52 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/8087976/1_s2.0_S0304389419316577_main.pdf |
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ftuhipublicatio:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/27cc5cd4-1ff0-4119-bb4e-c534e1988c52 2024-09-15T18:10:51+00:00 Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs Lavers, Jennifer L Sharp, Paul B Stuckenbrock, Silke Bond, Alexander L 2020-04-05 application/pdf https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/27cc5cd4-1ff0-4119-bb4e-c534e1988c52 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/8087976/1_s2.0_S0304389419316577_main.pdf eng eng https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/27cc5cd4-1ff0-4119-bb4e-c534e1988c52 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Lavers , J L , Sharp , P B , Stuckenbrock , S & Bond , A L 2020 , ' Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs ' , Journal of Hazardous Materials , vol. 387 , 121703 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 Entrapment Indian Ocean Marine debris Plastic pollution South Pacific Gyre article 2020 ftuhipublicatio https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 2024-07-22T23:37:24Z Significant quantities of plastic debris pollute nearly all the world's ecosystems, where it persists for decades and poses a considerable threat to flora and fauna. Much of the focus has been on the marine environment, with little information on the hazard posed by debris accumulating on beaches and adjacent vegetated areas. Here we investigate the potential for beach debris to disrupt terrestrial species and ecosystems on two remote islands. The significant quantities of debris on the beaches, and throughout the coastal vegetation, create a significant barrier which strawberry hermit crabs (Coenobita perlatus) encounter during their daily activities. Around 61,000 (2.447 crabs/m2) and 508,000 crabs (1.117 crabs/m2) are estimated to become entrapped in debris and die each year on Henderson Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, respectively. Globally, there is an urgent need to establish a clear link between debris interactions and population persistence, as loss of biodiversity contributes to ecosystem degradation. Our findings show accumulating debris on these islands has the potential to seriously impact hermit crab populations. This is important for countless other islands worldwide where crabs and debris overlap, as crabs play a crucial role in the maintenance of tropical ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Henderson Island University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI Journal of Hazardous Materials 387 121703 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of the Highlands and Islands: Research Database of UHI |
op_collection_id |
ftuhipublicatio |
language |
English |
topic |
Entrapment Indian Ocean Marine debris Plastic pollution South Pacific Gyre |
spellingShingle |
Entrapment Indian Ocean Marine debris Plastic pollution South Pacific Gyre Lavers, Jennifer L Sharp, Paul B Stuckenbrock, Silke Bond, Alexander L Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
topic_facet |
Entrapment Indian Ocean Marine debris Plastic pollution South Pacific Gyre |
description |
Significant quantities of plastic debris pollute nearly all the world's ecosystems, where it persists for decades and poses a considerable threat to flora and fauna. Much of the focus has been on the marine environment, with little information on the hazard posed by debris accumulating on beaches and adjacent vegetated areas. Here we investigate the potential for beach debris to disrupt terrestrial species and ecosystems on two remote islands. The significant quantities of debris on the beaches, and throughout the coastal vegetation, create a significant barrier which strawberry hermit crabs (Coenobita perlatus) encounter during their daily activities. Around 61,000 (2.447 crabs/m2) and 508,000 crabs (1.117 crabs/m2) are estimated to become entrapped in debris and die each year on Henderson Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, respectively. Globally, there is an urgent need to establish a clear link between debris interactions and population persistence, as loss of biodiversity contributes to ecosystem degradation. Our findings show accumulating debris on these islands has the potential to seriously impact hermit crab populations. This is important for countless other islands worldwide where crabs and debris overlap, as crabs play a crucial role in the maintenance of tropical ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lavers, Jennifer L Sharp, Paul B Stuckenbrock, Silke Bond, Alexander L |
author_facet |
Lavers, Jennifer L Sharp, Paul B Stuckenbrock, Silke Bond, Alexander L |
author_sort |
Lavers, Jennifer L |
title |
Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
title_short |
Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
title_full |
Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
title_fullStr |
Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
title_sort |
entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/27cc5cd4-1ff0-4119-bb4e-c534e1988c52 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 https://pureadmin.uhi.ac.uk/ws/files/8087976/1_s2.0_S0304389419316577_main.pdf |
genre |
Henderson Island |
genre_facet |
Henderson Island |
op_source |
Lavers , J L , Sharp , P B , Stuckenbrock , S & Bond , A L 2020 , ' Entrapment in plastic debris endangers hermit crabs ' , Journal of Hazardous Materials , vol. 387 , 121703 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 |
op_relation |
https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/27cc5cd4-1ff0-4119-bb4e-c534e1988c52 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121703 |
container_title |
Journal of Hazardous Materials |
container_volume |
387 |
container_start_page |
121703 |
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1810448432498737152 |