The role of Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) in the vertical microplastic transfer: A plankton-benthos linkage laboratory protocol
Microplastics are nowadays recognized as one of the most important pollution sources in the aquatic environment. Their presence has been investigated and certified in various parts of the globe and, most importantly, in a wide variety of species belonging to different trophic levels. However, the pr...
| Published in: | Food Webs |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Other Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier Inc.
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11567/1055416 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2021.e00189 |
| Summary: | Microplastics are nowadays recognized as one of the most important pollution sources in the aquatic environment. Their presence has been investigated and certified in various parts of the globe and, most importantly, in a wide variety of species belonging to different trophic levels. However, the process of microplastics vertical distribution among the trophic chains is yet to be disclosed, especially when approaching the plankton-benthos linkage and its consequences in terms of plastic particles transfer from the water column to the benthic biota and environment. We propose a laboratory protocol that simulates microplastics inclusion in organic matter and their subsequent ingestion by the Pacific Oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) by the mean of Na-alginate microspheres containing synthetic microplastics. The bivalve sorting mechanisms were also tested by providing phytoplanktonic microalgae and evaluating their proficiency in feeding selectivity. Overall, the Pacific oyster specimens exposed to organic coated microplastics ingested a third (0.1 MP/h vs. 0.3 MP/h) of plastic particles whenever microalgae were available in solution under the same conditions. |
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