Research highlights impact of plastic pollution on marine life

New research from Queen’s University Belfast and Liverpool John Moores University reveals how the microplastic pollution crisis is threatening biodiversity.

Currently, up to 10 percent of global plastic production ends up at sea, although understanding of how this affects marine life is limited. The research, published today in Biology charts, focused on the impact of plastics on hermit crabs, which play an important role in balancing the marine ecosystem.

Hermit crabs do not develop their own shells, but instead take them from snails to protect their soft abdomen. As the hermit crab grows over the years, you will need to find a succession of increasingly larger shells to replace those that have become too small. These shells are vital to protect and allow hermit crabs to grow, reproduce, and survive.

The researchers found that when hermit crabs were exposed to microplastics, they were less likely to later touch or enter high-quality shells. Dr. Gareth Arnott, Principal Investigator at Queen’s University School of Biological Sciences, explains: “Our research shows that exposure to microplastics can have significant effects on animal behavior. More specifically, in this case it had an effect. detrimental to shell selection behavior in hermit crabs. As this behavior is vital to hermit crab survival and reproduction, there could be significant long-term consequences. ”

To investigate the impact of exposure to microplastics, the research team divided hermit crabs into experimental tanks, half containing microplastics while the other half had no plastic. After five days, hermit crabs were moved to low-quality shells with the option of high-quality alternative shells that offer more protection.

Dr. Arnott added: “Our research shows for the first time how microplastics are altering and causing behavioral changes among the hermit crab population. These crabs are an important part of the ecosystem, responsible for ‘cleaning’ the sea through the decomposition of the decomposed sea – life and bacteria. By providing a hard and mobile surface, hermit crabs also walk in wildlife gardens. They host more than 100 species of invertebrates, much more than live snails or non-living substrates. In addition, species commercially Valuable hermit crabs, such as cod, sole and wolffish, are being taken advantage of. With these findings of effects on animal behavior, the microplastic pollution crisis is threatening biodiversity more than is currently recognized, making it It is vital that we act now to address this problem before it is too late. ”