Microplastics Affect the Ecological Functioning of an Important Biogenic Habitat.
dc.contributor.author | Green, DS | |
dc.contributor.author | Boots, B | |
dc.contributor.author | O'Connor, NE | |
dc.contributor.author | Thompson, R | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2016-12-22T13:46:12Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2017-01-03 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 0013-936X | |
dc.identifier.issn | 1520-5851 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/8161 | |
dc.description.abstract |
Biological effects of microplastics on the health of bivalves have been demonstrated elsewhere, but ecological impacts on the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of bivalve-dominated habitats are unknown. Thus, we exposed intact sediment cores containing European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) or blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in seawater to two different densities (2.5 or 25 μg L(-1)) of biodegradable or conventional microplastics in outdoor mesocosms. We hypothesized that filtration rates of the bivalves, inorganic nitrogen cycling, primary productivity of sediment dwelling microphytobenthos, and the structure of invertebrate benthic assemblages would be influenced by microplastics. After 50 days, filtration by M. edulis was significantly less when exposed to 25 μg L(-1) of either type of microplastics, but there were no effects on ecosystem functioning or the associated invertebrate assemblages. Contrastingly, filtration by O. edulis significantly increased when exposed to 2.5 or 25 μg L(-1) of microplastics, and porewater ammonium and biomass of benthic cyanobacteria decreased. Additionally the associated infaunal invertebrate assemblages differed, with significantly less polychaetes and more oligochaetes in treatments exposed to microplastics. These findings highlight the potential of microplastics to impact the functioning and structure of sedimentary habitats and show that such effects may depend on the dominant bivalve present. | |
dc.format.extent | 68-77 | |
dc.format.medium | Print-Electronic | |
dc.language | en | |
dc.language.iso | en | |
dc.publisher | American Chemical Society (ACS) | |
dc.subject | Animals | |
dc.subject | Biodiversity | |
dc.subject | Ecology | |
dc.subject | Ecosystem | |
dc.subject | Mytilus edulis | |
dc.subject | Seawater | |
dc.title | Microplastics Affect the Ecological Functioning of an Important Biogenic Habitat. | |
dc.type | journal-article | |
dc.type | Article | |
plymouth.author-url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27936642 | |
plymouth.issue | 1 | |
plymouth.volume | 51 | |
plymouth.publication-status | Published | |
plymouth.journal | Environmental science & technology | |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1021/acs.est.6b04496 | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Faculty of Science and Engineering/School of Biological and Marine Sciences | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/REF 2021 Researchers by UoA/UoA07 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Research Groups/Marine Institute | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role/Academics | |
plymouth.organisational-group | /Plymouth/Users by role/Researchers in ResearchFish submission | |
dc.publisher.place | United States | |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2016-12-01 | |
dc.rights.embargodate | 2017-12-12 | |
dc.identifier.eissn | 1520-5851 | |
dc.rights.embargoperiod | Not known | |
rioxxterms.versionofrecord | 10.1021/acs.est.6b04496 | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.uri | http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved | |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2017-01-03 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review |