Gooseneck barnacles (Lepasspp.) ingest microplastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

Abstract

Substantial quantities of small plastic particles, termed “microplastic,” have been found in many areas of the world ocean, and have accumulated in particularly high densities on the surface of the subtropical gyres. While plastic debris has been documented on the surface of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) since the early 1970s, the ecological implications remain poorly understood. Organisms associated with floating objects, termed the “rafting assemblage,” are an important component of the NPSG ecosystem. These objects are often dominated by abundant and fast-growing gooseneck barnacles (Lepas spp.), which predate on plankton and larval fishes at the sea surface. To assess the potential effects of microplastic on the rafting community, we examined the gastrointestinal tracts of 385 barnacles collected from the NPSG for evidence of plastic ingestion. We found that 33.5% of the barnacles had plastic particles present in their gastrointestinal tract, ranging from one plastic particle to a maximum of 30 particles. Particle ingestion was positively correlated to capitulum length, and no blockage of the stomach or intestines was observed. The majority of ingested plastic was polyethylene, with polypropylene and polystyrene also present. Our results suggest that barnacle ingestion of microplastic is relatively common, with unknown trophic impacts on the rafting community and the NPSG ecosystem.

Microplastics in the Marine Environment: Distribution, Interactions and Effects

“…Although a third of gooseneck barnacle (Lepas spp.) stomachs examined contained microplastics, no adverse effect was reported for these filter feeders (Goldstein and Goodwin 2013). Interestingly, the stomachs of mass stranded Humboldt squids (Dosidicus gigas) contained plastic pellets (Braid et al 2012).…”

Plastics in the Marine Environment

“…In contrast to entanglement, no particular form or item is typically associated with ingestion, although the size of the ingested debris is obviously limited by the size of the ingesting organism. For example, plastic fibers and small particles have been detected in filterfeeding oysters and mussels (e.g., Van Cauwenberghe & Janssen 2014) and suspension-feeding barnacles (Goldstein & Goodwin 2013); larger litter items, such as potato chip bags and cigarette box wrapping, have been found in the stomachs of large pelagic fish ( Jackson et al 2000); and very large debris items, including 9 m of rope, 4.5 m of hose, two flowerpots, and large amounts of plastic sheeting, were found in the stomach of a stranded sperm whale (de Stephanis et al 2013).…”

Marine birds and plastic debris in Canada: a national synthesis and a way forward

“…Many groups of animals interact with plastic pollution, including marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, sea snakes, and seabirds (Laist 1997;Boerger et al 2010, Bravo Rebolledo et al 2013Udyawer et al 2013;Baulch and Perry 2014). Even invertebrates such as copepods, polychaetes, mussels, and squid may ingest small fragments of plastics (Day 1988;Browne et al 2008;Moore 2008;Goldstein and Goodwin 2013). Because marine plastics can be positively buoyant, these marine predators are susceptible to encountering such plastic pollution while feeding in surface waters (Baulch and Perry 2014).…”