Microplastics: No Small Problem for Filter-Feeding Megafauna

Germanov, Elitza S.; Marshall, Andrea D.; Bejder, Lars; Fossi, María Cristina; Loneragan, N.R.

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2018.01.005

Cited by 180 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…However, given that high levels of microplastic toxins are increasingly threatening filter‐feeding organisms in today's oceans (Germanov et al. ), the future persistence of giant filter feeders may be now at risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, given that filter feeders are particularly susceptible to high levels of microplastic toxins in today's oceans (Germanov et al. ), this strategy, which has persisted since at least the Paleogene, may be at risk in modern oceans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…S2B, Table S4) suggest that this pathway has been sustained throughout geologic time, at least since the mid-Jurassic. However, given that high levels of microplastic toxins are increasingly threatening filter-feeding organisms in today's oceans (Germanov et al 2018), the future persistence of giant filter feeders may be now at risk.…”

Section: The Filter-feeding Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays

et al. 2019

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Through elasmobranch (sharks and rays) evolutionary history, gigantism evolved multiple times in phylogenetically distant species, some of which are now extinct. Interestingly, the world's largest elasmobranchs display two specializations found never to overlap: filter feeding and mesothermy. The contrasting lifestyles of elasmobranch giants provide an ideal case study to elucidate the evolutionary pathways leading to gigantism in the oceans. Here, we applied a phylogenetic approach to a global dataset of 459 taxa to study the evolution of elasmobranch gigantism. We found that filter feeders and mesotherms deviate from general relationships between trophic level and body size, and exhibit significantly larger sizes than ectothermic‐macropredators. We confirm that filter feeding arose multiple times during the Paleogene, and suggest the possibility of a single origin of mesothermy in the Cretaceous. Together, our results elucidate two main evolutionary pathways that enable gigantism: mesothermic and filter feeding. These pathways were followed by ancestrally large clades and facilitated extreme sizes through specializations for enhancing prey intake. Although a negligible percentage of ectothermic‐macropredators reach gigantic sizes, these species lack such specializations and are correspondingly constrained to the lower limits of gigantism. Importantly, the very adaptive strategies that enabled the evolution of the largest sharks can also confer high extinction susceptibility.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Filter-feeding Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays

et al. 2019

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“…Not only are the aforementioned threats and associated impacts to whales expected to increase in this region, but the cumulative threats modelled here likely only illustrate a portion of existing threats. Multiple unquantified potential impacts such as noise, biotoxins and plastic pollution in the region are unaccounted for due to lack of data and knowledge (Bettridge et al, 2015;Fossi et al, 2012;Germanov, Marshall, Bejder, Possi, & Loneragan, 2018). Also, anthropogenic impacts likely act additively and synergistically across space-time, which is difficult to assess, and are likely to be compounded over the lifetime of the animal due to their seasonal migratory behaviour and breeding site fidelity (Crain, Kroeker, & Halpern, 2008;Maxwell et al, 2013).…”

Section: Overlap With Cumulative Anthropogenic Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of breeding humpback whale habitats and overlap with cumulative anthropogenic impacts in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic

Chou

Kershaw

Maxwell

et al. 2020

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Species distribution modelling is a useful tool for determining important habitats. By accounting for specific animal behaviour in the model, it is possible to identify finer‐scale patterns of habitat use. Together with spatially explicit data on anthropogenic activities, models can be used to assess human impacts and inform conservation management. This study used observations of breeding behaviour to identify fine‐scale breeding habitats of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), as well as potential overlap of these habitats with cumulative anthropogenic impacts. Location Eastern Tropical Atlantic, West Africa. Methods Maxent was used to model humpback distribution using pertinent environmental predictors and an integrated dataset of humpback whale occurrences filtered for breeding‐specific behaviours. In conjunction with multiple anthropogenic activities, a subsequent cumulative utilization and impact analysis assessed the degree of overlap between predicted breeding habitat and potential anthropogenic impacts. Results Greatest habitat suitability occurred in warm coastal waters of Gabon, and other highly suitable areas occurred off Equatorial Guinea (Bioko Island), Cameroon and Angola. Sea surface temperature and height contributed most to the model. Highest overlap between humpback whales and potential impacts from anthropogenic activities occurred off Gabon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko Island), Cameroon and Angola. Impacts associated with oil and gas development (where oil and gas platforms serve as an indicator for industry activity) appeared to contribute most to potential cumulative impact. Main Conclusions Depth and sea surface temperature of predicted breeding habitats were consistent with previous studies. However, lesser known characteristics such as sea surface height and wind speed, resulting in potentially more sheltered areas for breeding whales, may also be important in delineating finer‐scale habitat suitability. Identified areas of high potential cumulative impact occurred within exclusive economic zones of multiple countries and likely represent the minimum level of impact to humpback whales in the region, highlighting the need for additional research and effective management throughout the area.

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“…Microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm) are polluting marine (Erni‐Cassola, Zadjelovic, Gibson, & Christie‐Oleza, ), freshwater (Luo et al, ) and terrestrial (Scheurer & Bigalke, ; Zhang & Liu, ) ecosystems worldwide. So far, microplastics have been found in various aquatic (Germanov, Marshall, Bejder, Fossi, & Loneragan, ) and terrestrial (Smiroldo, Balestrieri, Pini, & Tremolada, ; Zhao, Zhu, & Li, ) vertebrates and invertebrates (Akindele, Ehlers, & Koop, ; Machado, Kloas, Zarfl, Hempel, & Rillig, ; Panebianco, Nalbone, Giarratana, & Ziino, ; Wright, Thompson, & Galloway, ). As microplastics are considered emerging anthropogenic pollutants, their potential effects are usually assessed in ecotoxicological studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low‐cost microplastic visualization in feeding experiments using an ultraviolet light‐emitting flashlight

Ehlers

Maxein

Koop

2020

Ecological Research

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Microplastics are pollutants threatening the health of marine, freshwater and terrestrial organisms. To analyze whether an organism is able to ingest microplastics, the organism is usually fed with expensive fluorescent microbeads and placed under a fluorescence microscope for microplastic detection. However, such equipment cannot be afforded by many laboratories. Therefore, we developed a low-cost method to study the ingestion and egestion of low-cost, fluorescent microplastic fragments and fibers by aquatic invertebrates. During our feeding experiments, we exposed the freshwater snail Radix balthica to artificial biofilms containing 15% microplastic fragments and fibers, respectively. We then used an ultraviolet (UV) flashlight to irradiate the microplastics. Hence, we could directly observe the microplastics in the food, during ingestion and egestion as well as in the snail feces. Our method, thereby, allowed us to analyze the snails' behavior (during ingestion and egestion), the microplastics' distribution in the snail feces and the microplastics' shape after the snails' digestion. Furthermore, we observed that the snails ceased to egest microplastics after 76 hr following microplastic ingestion. However, chemical digestion of the snails 6 days after microplastic exposure revealed that microplastics were still present in R. balthica, emphasizing the microplastics' persistence in the animals' bodies. This is the first study combining the usage of low-cost fluorescent microplastics with an inexpensive UV flashlight for microplastic detection during microplastic ingestion and egestion by living organisms. Our new method is not only cost-effective, but also fast and can be performed by a wide range of researchers without special previous training. K E Y W O R D Saffordability, black light, gastrointestinal passage, gastropods, synthetic polymers

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Microplastics: No Small Problem for Filter-Feeding Megafauna

Cited by 180 publications

References 13 publications

Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays

Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays

Distribution of breeding humpback whale habitats and overlap with cumulative anthropogenic impacts in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic

Low‐cost microplastic visualization in feeding experiments using an ultraviolet light‐emitting flashlight

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