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- Publisher Website: 10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103012
- Scopus: eid_2-s2.0-85160861025
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Article: The role of mangrove crabs, the key macrofaunal bioengineers, in microplastic production in tropical coastal forests
| Title | The role of mangrove crabs, the key macrofaunal bioengineers, in microplastic production in tropical coastal forests |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Keywords | Biofouling Expanded polystyrene Foamed plastics Fragmentation Macrofauna Microplastics Plastics |
| Issue Date | 1-Oct-2023 |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Citation | Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2023, v. 63 How to Cite? |
| Abstract | The negative impact of microplastics is evident worldwide, at both an organismal and ecosystem level, representing a global environmental concern. Physical weathering, chemical and microbial degradation are major known primary pathways for secondary microplastic generation. Here, we show another mechanism which plays a role in the formation of microplastics. We demonstrated the ability of mangrove crabs Parasesarma bidens and Metopograpsus quadridentatus to rapidly shred macro-sized foamed plastics into numerous microplastics through their feeding behaviours. The negative buoyancy of produced fragments illustrated their likely result of being deposited in the environment. Furthermore, the production of plastic fragments varied with respect to crab species and the conditions of the plastic, suggesting an association with the foraging and feeding behaviours of the crabs. These results reveal the contributions of macrofauna to microplastic formation, highlighting the importance of taking macrofaunal fragmentation into account when modelling the source and pathways of plastics in the environment. Macrofauna are often dominant bioengineers (e.g. mangrove crabs) maintaining the health of ecosystems, however, they are now spending energy shredding plastic which could otherwise be used for behaviours that benefit ecological functioning. Studying these interactions not only have a utility in both the ecology and functioning of ecosystems but also overall environmental health. |
| Persistent Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/337429 |
| ISSN | 2023 Impact Factor: 2.1 2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.523 |
| ISI Accession Number ID |
| DC Field | Value | Language |
|---|---|---|
| dc.contributor.author | So, Mandy Wing Kwan | - |
| dc.contributor.author | Vorsatz, Lyle Dennis | - |
| dc.contributor.author | Cannicci, Stefano | - |
| dc.contributor.author | Not, Christelle | - |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-03-11T10:20:48Z | - |
| dc.date.available | 2024-03-11T10:20:48Z | - |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-10-01 | - |
| dc.identifier.citation | Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2023, v. 63 | - |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2352-4855 | - |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10722/337429 | - |
| dc.description.abstract | <p>The negative impact of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/microplastics" title="Learn more about microplastics from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">microplastics</a> is evident worldwide, at both an organismal and ecosystem level, representing a global environmental concern. Physical weathering, chemical and microbial degradation are major known primary pathways for secondary microplastic generation. Here, we show another mechanism which plays a role in the formation of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/microplastics" title="Learn more about microplastics from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">microplastics</a>. We demonstrated the ability of mangrove crabs <em>Parasesarma </em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/bidens" title="Learn more about bidens from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">bidens</a> and <em>Metopograpsus quadridentatus</em> to rapidly shred macro-sized foamed plastics into numerous microplastics through their feeding behaviours. The negative buoyancy of produced fragments illustrated their likely result of being deposited in the environment. Furthermore, the production of plastic fragments varied with respect to crab species and the conditions of the plastic, suggesting an association with the foraging and feeding behaviours of the crabs. These results reveal the contributions of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/macrofauna" title="Learn more about macrofauna from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">macrofauna</a> to microplastic formation, highlighting the importance of taking macrofaunal fragmentation into account when modelling the source and pathways of plastics in the environment. Macrofauna are often dominant bioengineers (e.g. mangrove crabs) maintaining the health of ecosystems, however, they are now spending energy shredding plastic which could otherwise be used for behaviours that benefit ecological functioning. Studying these interactions not only have a utility in both the ecology and functioning of ecosystems but also overall <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-health" title="Learn more about environmental health from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">environmental health</a>.<br></p> | - |
| dc.language | eng | - |
| dc.publisher | Elsevier | - |
| dc.relation.ispartof | Regional Studies in Marine Science | - |
| dc.rights | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. | - |
| dc.subject | Biofouling | - |
| dc.subject | Expanded polystyrene | - |
| dc.subject | Foamed plastics | - |
| dc.subject | Fragmentation | - |
| dc.subject | Macrofauna | - |
| dc.subject | Microplastics | - |
| dc.subject | Plastics | - |
| dc.title | The role of mangrove crabs, the key macrofaunal bioengineers, in microplastic production in tropical coastal forests | - |
| dc.type | Article | - |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103012 | - |
| dc.identifier.scopus | eid_2-s2.0-85160861025 | - |
| dc.identifier.volume | 63 | - |
| dc.identifier.eissn | 2352-4855 | - |
| dc.identifier.isi | WOS:001015453000001 | - |
| dc.identifier.issnl | 2352-4855 | - |