Sofia Martinez
Plastic pollution is present in almost every landscape on Earth, from the highest peaks to the deepest depths of the ocean. This includes microplastics, which are small plastic detritus that are a widespread and ubiquitous contaminant of marine ecosystems. Due to their small size, microplastics can be ingested by a wide range of marine species, including zooplankton. Zooplankton are tiny animals that play a vital role in the marine food system and in regulating the Earth's climate. They are filter feeders, meaning they feed by filtering large quantities of water. As such, they are unable to effectively avoid ingesting microplastics. The ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton can have negative impacts on biological processes and can also lead to the transfer of plastics up the food chain as zooplankton are eaten by larger creatures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Zooplankton ingest microplastics | Microplastics are abundant and widespread in the marine environment. Zooplankton, being filter feeders, ingest microplastics along with phytoplankton. |
| Microplastics are toxic to zooplankton | Microplastics act as a magnet for pollutants, increasing their toxicity by a factor of 10. This can negatively impact the health of zooplankton and other marine organisms that consume them. |
| Microplastics enter the food web | Zooplankton are a crucial food source for many secondary consumers, including small predators like krill, shrimp, and small fish. This allows microplastics to enter the food web and transfer up the trophic levels. |
| Microplastics affect the carbon cycle | When copepods ingest floating microplastics, their faecal pellets sink more slowly, releasing the microplastics back into the water and disrupting the movement of carbon into deeper water. |
| Factors influencing microplastic ingestion | Size, shape, age, abundance, and smell can influence the bioavailability of microplastics to zooplankton and their ingestion rates. |
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What You'll Learn
Zooplankton ingest microplastics
Zooplankton are tiny aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents and are instead carried along by ocean currents. They are the most abundant animals on the planet and play a vital role in the marine food system and in regulating the Earth's climate.
Unfortunately, due to their small size, zooplankton can ingest microplastics, which are small plastic detritus that contaminate marine ecosystems across the globe. Microplastics are abundant and widespread in the marine environment and act as a magnet for pollutants, concentrating them on their surfaces. When non-organic plastic and organic pollutants converge, the toxicity of the latter is compounded, threatening the marine environment and human health.
Research has shown that microplastics are readily ingested by several zooplankton taxa, with negative impacts on biological processes. Zooplankton feed on phytoplankton (plant plankton) and then become food for secondary consumers, which means that microplastics can enter the food web and transfer up the trophic levels. In fact, microplastic ingestion has been recorded in 39 zooplankton species from 28 taxonomic orders.
The impact of microplastics on zooplankton is an under-researched area, but studies have shown that microplastics can decrease algal feeding and affect feeding behaviour, growth, development, reproduction, and lifespan. For example, one study found that 7.3 μm microplastics at a concentration of >4000 mL–1 significantly decreased algal feeding in the copepod Centropages typicus. Another study observed that microplastics adhered to the external carapace and appendages of exposed zooplankton.
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Microplastics are toxic to zooplankton
Microplastics are abundant and widespread in the marine environment, and due to their small size, they can be ingested by a wide range of marine species, including zooplankton. Zooplankton are tiny animals like krill and copepods and are the most abundant animals on the planet. They play a vital role in the marine food system and in regulating the Earth's climate.
The ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton has been observed in several studies. Research has shown that microplastics are readily ingested by multiple zooplankton taxa, with negative impacts on biological processes. These impacts include effects on feeding behaviour, growth, development, reproduction, and lifespan. For example, in one study, it was observed that the presence of 7.3 μm microplastics significantly decreased algal feeding in copepods.
Microplastics can also act as a magnet for pollutants, concentrating them on their surfaces. This leads to an increase in the toxicity of organic pollutants, which can have detrimental effects on the marine environment and, ultimately, human health. Furthermore, zooplankton grazing on microplastics has been linked to the acceleration of global loss of ocean oxygen. By consuming microplastics, zooplankton reduce their grazing on primary producers, leading to increased export production and organic particle remineralization, which contributes to decreased oxygen levels in the ocean.
While the majority of studies on the effects of microplastics on zooplankton have been conducted in laboratory settings, it is important to note that the microplastics used in these experiments may not always reflect those found in the natural marine environment. Nevertheless, the available research highlights the toxic effects of microplastics on zooplankton, underscoring the need for further investigation into the broader ecological implications of this relationship.
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Microplastics enter the food web through zooplankton
Microplastics are abundant and widespread in marine environments, and due to their small size, they can be ingested by a wide range of marine species, including zooplankton. Zooplankton are tiny animals like krill and copepods, and they play a vital role in the marine food system. They are a crucial food source for many secondary consumers, such as small predators like krill, shrimp, small fish, and even humpback whales.
Being filter feeders, zooplankton lack complex digestive systems and feed by filtering large quantities of water. This makes them particularly susceptible to ingesting microplastics, as they are about the same size as fish eggs and can be mistaken for food. Research has shown that microplastics are readily ingested by several zooplankton taxa, and this has negative impacts on their biological processes and health.
As zooplankton are eaten by larger creatures, the transfer of microplastics up the food chain is concerning. For example, baby salmon that spawn in British Columbia's rivers and eventually head out to sea will likely consume plastic particles just from eating zooplankton. This was confirmed by a study published in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, which found that one out of every 34 copepods and one out of every 17 euphausiids were eating tiny bits of plastic.
Furthermore, microplastics act as a magnet for pollutants, concentrating them on their surfaces and increasing their toxicity. When ingested by zooplankton, these contaminated microplastics can further impact the health of zooplankton and potentially the species that consume them. This was demonstrated by an experiment where copepods were fed plastics, and it was found that the microplastics were released back into the water through their faecal pellets, which could then be ingested by other animals in the seabed.
Overall, the ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton has significant implications for the marine food web and highlights the need to address plastic pollution to protect the health of our oceans and the species within them.
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Microplastics affect zooplankton reproduction
Microplastics are abundant and widespread in the marine environment, and their presence poses a significant threat to zooplankton and the wider marine ecosystem. Zooplankton, as filter feeders, are particularly vulnerable to ingesting microplastics, which can have detrimental effects on their biological processes, including reproduction.
Zooplankton are tiny aquatic organisms that play a crucial role in the marine food chain. They are a primary food source for many secondary consumers, such as fish and other marine animals. As filter feeders, zooplankton lack complex digestive systems and feed by filtering large volumes of water, which can lead to the inadvertent ingestion of microplastics.
Research has shown that microplastics are readily ingested by multiple zooplankton species, and this has negative consequences for their feeding behaviour, growth, development, reproduction, and lifespan. The ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton can also impact their ability to feed on algae, potentially disrupting the control of algae populations by herbivorous zooplankton. This disruption can have cascading effects on the marine food web and the availability of food sources for higher trophic levels.
Furthermore, microplastics can act as a magnet for pollutants, concentrating and increasing their toxicity. This heightened toxicity can have detrimental effects on the reproductive capabilities of zooplankton, as well as impacting their overall health and survival. The presence of microplastics in the marine environment can also affect the oxygen levels in the water, further exacerbating the challenges faced by zooplankton in their reproductive and survival efforts.
The impact of microplastics on zooplankton reproduction is a growing concern, and further research is needed to fully understand the scope and magnitude of these effects. By understanding the ways in which microplastics disrupt zooplankton reproduction and survival, scientists and environmental advocates can develop strategies to mitigate these impacts and preserve the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.
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Microplastics disrupt the ocean's homeostasis
Microplastics are abundant and widespread in marine environments, and due to their small size, they can be ingested by a wide range of marine species, including zooplankton. Zooplankton are tiny animals like krill and copepods, as well as the immature stages of larger animals like baby crabs and fish. They are a crucial food source for many secondary consumers, and their ingestion of microplastics represents a route for these plastics to enter the marine food web and transfer up the trophic levels.
The impact of microplastics on zooplankton is an area of ongoing research, and it has been established that microplastics can have negative impacts on biological processes. Previous studies have found reproductive impacts and other health effects in marine organisms that have consumed plastic. The transfer of microplastics up the food chain is a significant concern, as zooplankton are eaten by larger creatures such as small fish, humpback whales, and even humans.
One study found that one out of every 34 copepods and one out of every 17 euphausiids in the Northeast Pacific Ocean were ingesting tiny bits of plastic. Another experiment involving copepods found that when they ingested plastic that could float in seawater, their faecal pellets sank more slowly, releasing the microplastics back into the water and preventing the movement of carbon into deeper water. This disruption to the carbon cycle can have far-reaching consequences for the ocean's homeostasis.
Furthermore, microplastics act as a magnet for pollutants, concentrating and increasing their toxicity. This compounded toxicity threatens the marine environment and ultimately human health. The presence of microplastics in zooplankton can also affect the health of other marine organisms that rely on them as a food source.
The ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton has been documented through bioimaging techniques and even captured on camera. While research is ongoing, the existing evidence suggests that microplastics can disrupt the oceans' homeostasis by impacting the health of zooplankton, transferring toxins up the food chain, and interfering with the carbon cycle.
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Frequently asked questions
Zooplankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. They are filter feeders, meaning they feed by filtering large quantities of water. As a result, they unintentionally consume microplastics that are present in the water.
Microplastics have been shown to have a negative impact on the health of zooplankton. They can also affect the wider ecosystem as zooplankton are eaten by larger creatures, transferring the microplastics up the food chain.
When zooplankton ingest microplastics that can float in seawater, their faecal pellets sink more slowly. This prevents the movement of carbon into deeper water as the pellets spend more time in the warmer surface waters and degrade faster, releasing the microplastics back into the water.
Microplastics are small plastic detritus, typically less than 5 mm in size. They come from two main sources: primary microplastics, which are manufactured to be microscopic, and secondary microplastics, which are derived from the breakdown of larger plastic litter or released into wastewater from washing nylon or polyester clothing.
