Early evidence of microplastics on seagrass and macroalgae
Nicholas Seng A C , Samantha Lai A , Jenny Fong A , Muhammad Faiq Saleh A , Clement Cheng A , Zi Yu Cheok A B and Peter A. Todd A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Republic of Singapore.
B International Biodiversity Conservation, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore 259569, Republic of Singapore.
C Corresponding author. Email: nicholas.seng@u.nus.edu
Marine and Freshwater Research 71(8) 922-928 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19177
Submitted: 15 May 2019 Accepted: 18 October 2019 Published: 28 January 2020
Abstract
Microplastic accumulation on marine macrophytes, such as macroalgae and seagrasses, is a potentially critical but overlooked pathway by which microplastics enter the marine food web. Despite the possible significance of this pathway, few studies have examined the presence of microplastics on macrophytes found in situ. We quantified the density of microplastics found on the surfaces of three species of intertidal seagrasses (Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata and Thalassia hemprichii) and two species of subtidal macroalgae (Padina sp. and Sargassum ilicifolium), and found significantly higher microplastic densities on seagrasses than on macroalgae. However, we found no relationships between microplastic density and epibiont cover in either seagrass or macroalgae. Our study has provided early evidence of microplastics on macrophyte surfaces in situ, being the first such evidence for macroalgae, and the second for seagrasses.
Additional keywords: macrophytes, pollution, Singapore, waste.
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