Chemoreception drives plastic consumption in a hard coral

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:124

Article

Allen, Austin S.¹  Seymour, Alexander C.¹  Rittschof, Daniel¹ 

[1] Duke Univ, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516 USA

关键词: Microplastic;    Coral;    Biofilm;    Pollution;    Chemoreception;    Ingest;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.030

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The drivers behind micro-plastic (up to 5 mm in diameter) consumption by animals are uncertain and impacts on foundational species are poorly understood. We investigated consumption of weathered, unfouled, biofouled, pre-production and microbe-free National Institute of Standards plastic by a scleractinian coral that relies on chemo sensory cues for feeding. Experiment one found that corals ingested many plastic types while mostly ignoring organic-free sand, suggesting that plastic contains phagostimulents. Experiment two found that corals ingested more plastic that wasn't covered in a microbial biofilm than plastics that were biofilmed. Additionally, corals retained similar to 8% of ingested plastic for 24 h or more and retained particles appeared stuck in corals, with consequences for energetics, pollutant toxicity and trophic transfer. The potential for chemo-reception to drive plastic consumption in marine taxa has implications for conservation.

【 授权许可】

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