MARINE WORMS ARE EATING MARINE DEBRIS AND CREATING MICROPLASTICS
Buoys of expanded polyestyrene (EPS), are often used in the aquaculture industry, and after time, slowly disintegrate under the influence of sunlight, weather, and animals too. According to a recent study, bristle worms (polychaetes) showed their are eating particles of polyestyrene from buoys, and then excreting microplastics.
Researchers found a lot of EPS particles in the feces of polychaetes from EPS debris, they noted polychaetes burrowed into EPS debris and created numerous EPS microplastic particles, this mean theses organisms are inhabiting marine debris and contributing to microplastic formation.
- Marphysa sanguinea is a common polychaete worm, with two strong black teeth (seen in picture a). This one measures 22 cm, and was collected from EPS buoy debris. EPS particles are clearly seen inside polychaete digestive tract (b), and in feces (c).
According to researchers, polychaetes burrowed into the blocks and created numerous EPS particles, indicating that a single polychaete can produce hundreds of thousand f microplastics particles per year. These finding reveal the potential role of marine organisms as microplastics producers in the marine environments.
Photo of a Marphysa sanguinea by Peter J. Bryant
Reference (Open Access): Jang et al., 2019. Formation of microplastics by polychaetes (Marphysa sanguinea) inhabiting expanded polystyrene marine debris. Marine Pollution Bulletin