Evidence of microplastics from benthic jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) in Florida estuaries

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:159

Article

Iliff, Samantha M.^1,2  Wilczek, Eliza R.³  Harris, Rachel J.^2,4  Bouldin, Ryan³  Stoner, Elizabeth W.³ 

[1] Univ Michigan, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, 1105 N Univ Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA

[2] Florida Atlantic Univ, Harriet L Wilkes Honors Coll, 5353 Parkside Dr, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA

[3] Bentley Univ, Dept Nat & Appl Sci, 175 Forest St, North Waltham, MA 02452 USA

[4] WildPine Ecol Lab, Loxahatchee River Dist, 2500 Jupiter Pk Dr, Jupiter, FL 33458 USA

关键词: Anthropogenic debris;    Hurricane;    Upside-down jellyfish;    Microfibers;    Bioindicator;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111521

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Plastic pollution is a concern in many nearshore ecosystems, and it is critical to understand how microplastics (plastics < 5 mm in length) affect nearshore marine biota. Here, we report the presence of microplastics in the benthic, upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea xamachana) across three estuaries in south Florida. Microplastics were recovered from Cassiopea using an acid digestion, then enumerated via microscopy, and identified using micro Fourier-transform interferometer (mu FTIR) analysis. Out of 115 specimens analyzed, 77% contained microplastics. Bell diameter and number of plastics per individual varied significantly across locations with the highest plastic densities and bell diameter observed in individuals from Big Pine Key, followed by Jupiter, and Sarasota. mu FTIR analysis confirmed that synthetic microfibers were the dominant microplastic measured at all three locations and may indicate Cassiopea as potential sinks of microplastic. Cassiopea may be used as bioindicators of microplastic contamination in the future, allowing for potential plastic pollution mitigation.

【 授权许可】

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