Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish
In the global ocean, more than 380 species are known to ingest microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm in size), including mid-trophic forage fishes central to pelagic food webs. Trophic pathways that bioaccumulate microplastics in marine food webs remain unclear. We assess the potential for...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac7060 |
| _version_ | 1797746983839989760 |
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| author | J M Chavarry K L Law A D Barton N M Bowlin M D Ohman C A Choy |
| author_facet | J M Chavarry K L Law A D Barton N M Bowlin M D Ohman C A Choy |
| author_sort | J M Chavarry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the global ocean, more than 380 species are known to ingest microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm in size), including mid-trophic forage fishes central to pelagic food webs. Trophic pathways that bioaccumulate microplastics in marine food webs remain unclear. We assess the potential for the trophic transfer of microplastics through forage fishes, which are prey for diverse predators including commercial and protected species. Here, we quantify Northern Anchovy ( Engraulis mordax ) exposure to microplastics relative to their natural zooplankton prey, across their vertical habitat. Microplastic and zooplankton samples were collected from the California Current Ecosystem in 2006 and 2007. We estimated the abundance of microplastics beyond the sampled size range but within anchovy feeding size ranges using global microplastic size distributions. Depth-integrated microplastics (0–30 m depth) were estimated using a depth decay model, accounting for the effects of wind-driven vertical mixing on buoyant microplastics. In this coastal upwelling biome, the median relative exposure for an anchovy that consumed prey 0.287–5 mm in size was 1 microplastic particle for every 3399 zooplankton individuals. Microplastic exposure varied, peaking within offshore habitats, during the winter, and during the day. Maximum exposure to microplastic particles relative to zooplankton prey was higher for juvenile (1:23) than adult (1:33) anchovy due to growth-associated differences in anchovy feeding. Overall, microplastic particles constituted fewer than 5% of prey-sized items available to anchovy. Microplastic exposure is likely to increase for forage fishes in the global ocean alongside declines in primary productivity, and with increased water column stratification and microplastic pollution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:45:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fdd4da55ab7d4a3f9f52fc53970c35e9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:45:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-fdd4da55ab7d4a3f9f52fc53970c35e92023-08-09T15:31:44ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262022-01-0117606403810.1088/1748-9326/ac7060Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fishJ M Chavarry0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9932-3632K L Law1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5298-6751A D Barton2N M Bowlin3M D Ohman4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8136-3695C A Choy5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0305-1159Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of AmericaSea Education Association , Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of AmericaIntegrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of America; Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of AmericaSouthwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , San Diego, CA 92037, United States of AmericaIntegrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of AmericaIntegrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093, United States of AmericaIn the global ocean, more than 380 species are known to ingest microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm in size), including mid-trophic forage fishes central to pelagic food webs. Trophic pathways that bioaccumulate microplastics in marine food webs remain unclear. We assess the potential for the trophic transfer of microplastics through forage fishes, which are prey for diverse predators including commercial and protected species. Here, we quantify Northern Anchovy ( Engraulis mordax ) exposure to microplastics relative to their natural zooplankton prey, across their vertical habitat. Microplastic and zooplankton samples were collected from the California Current Ecosystem in 2006 and 2007. We estimated the abundance of microplastics beyond the sampled size range but within anchovy feeding size ranges using global microplastic size distributions. Depth-integrated microplastics (0–30 m depth) were estimated using a depth decay model, accounting for the effects of wind-driven vertical mixing on buoyant microplastics. In this coastal upwelling biome, the median relative exposure for an anchovy that consumed prey 0.287–5 mm in size was 1 microplastic particle for every 3399 zooplankton individuals. Microplastic exposure varied, peaking within offshore habitats, during the winter, and during the day. Maximum exposure to microplastic particles relative to zooplankton prey was higher for juvenile (1:23) than adult (1:33) anchovy due to growth-associated differences in anchovy feeding. Overall, microplastic particles constituted fewer than 5% of prey-sized items available to anchovy. Microplastic exposure is likely to increase for forage fishes in the global ocean alongside declines in primary productivity, and with increased water column stratification and microplastic pollution.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac7060upwelling ecosystemsfood websclimate changeEngraulis mordax |
| spellingShingle | J M Chavarry K L Law A D Barton N M Bowlin M D Ohman C A Choy Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish Environmental Research Letters upwelling ecosystems food webs climate change Engraulis mordax |
| title | Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish |
| title_full | Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish |
| title_fullStr | Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish |
| title_short | Relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish |
| title_sort | relative exposure to microplastics and prey for a pelagic forage fish |
| topic | upwelling ecosystems food webs climate change Engraulis mordax |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac7060 |
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