Understanding species-microplastics interactions : a laboratory study on the effects of microplastics on the Azorean barnacle, Megabalanus azoricus
Abstract
Understanding the impact of microplastics on the marine environment, wildlife and humans is a complex issue. Effects of contaminated microplastics (polyvinylchloride (PVC), mean size 1.5 µm) on the Azorean barnacle (Megabalanus Azoricus) were investigated within a global research project (GAME), in which akin experiments were conducted simultaneously at seven different sites worldwide in order to obtain comparable data for a range of benthic invertebrates. During a six weeks laboratory experiment individuals of M. azoricus were exposed to different microplastic density levels and the effects of these treatments on barnacle survival, respiration, motility and survival under hypoxia stress were measured. The results do not allow clear statements on a negative effect of microplastics on barnacles. Cirral activity decreased under medium plastic densities, with barnacles showing no respiratory pumping and beating, but at higher densities the behavior of the barnacles was normal. A similar pattern was observed for the respiration rates in the medium plastic density treatment group, \nalthough no statistical difference emerged between this and all other groups. At high plastic densities barnacles may have protected themselves from exposure, while barnacles at lower densities did not manage to do this, maybe because the reflex of feeding was still intact at medium particle densities. Although this experiment did not give clear answers, a comparison with all other studied species…
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