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RESEARCH I REPORTS
<br /> A 48a B 190 a C 70
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<br /> 46 — -
<br /> 180 60
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<br /> E
<br /> Ta 44a,g> _ E ab
<br /> ca 170 - 50 b
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<br /> c, AMS > l!::,',..T; 40
<br /> 0 9 b 160 ;f ccclEE
<br /> r�� c 150 b�r� 20
<br /> � AE 11,44 140
<br /> Z ; ' I- 130 .x; - 10
<br /> 32 1 1,0
<br /> 30 W 120 .g: p
<br /> Control Average High Control Average High Control Average High
<br /> Fig.1.Fish behavior when exposed to polystyrene microplastic particles.Mean(±SE)number of(A)lines crossed(a measure of activity),(B)total distance
<br /> ' moved(mm),and(C)total time spent inactive(s)for 10-day-old P.fluviatilis were affected by microplastic concentration(control,average,or high).
<br /> the accumulation of microplastic waste could plastic particles (90 urn): (i) no microplastics m3). Fish across all treatments were fed the Cl
<br /> affectthe functioning of marine ecosystems;how- (0 particles/m3),(ii)average microplastic con- same concentrations of newly hatched Arte- N
<br /> ever,the mechanisms by which effects will man- centration (10,000 particles/m3), and (ii) high mia sp.nauplii twice daily(ad libitum,75,000 a)
<br /> ifest have not been identified.This is especially microplastic concentration (80,000 particles/ nauplii/m3). g
<br /> true for eggs,embryos, and larvae To assess direct chemical effects of g
<br /> of aquatic organisms,which are par- A i.Control 0 Average 0 High polystyrene microplastics on fish,we
<br /> ticularly vulnerable to water-borne collected fertilized egg strands of P. If
<br /> o
<br /> pollutants owing to their limited N 0.2 b b b b b b b fluviatilis from natural populations in
<br /> ability to regulate their internal en- 2 0 __ _.__. ®® __ the Baltic Sea and placed them in 5
<br /> 5
<br /> vironment (9). In particular, early o .k 1000-m1 glass aquaria that contained 0
<br /> life stages of fishes are under strong °a -0.2 � one of the three microplastic concen- g
<br /> selection, driven by high rates ofd trations and filtered estuarine water •5
<br /> predator-induced mortality(10,11). g -0.4 _` (19).We then monitored the number
<br /> a) ai
<br /> Hence,selection is often mediated m of successful hatching events over a
<br /> c .. a
<br /> by antipredator behaviors and prox- s -0.6 3-week period(N=5 with 58 to 60 eggs •a
<br /> imate factors (e.g.,feeding history U a per replicate aquaria). Overall, sue-
<br /> and growth)(12).To better under- -0.8. cessful hatching rates of fish were CI
<br /> stand potential effects of microplas- B 0.2 significantly related to microplastic g
<br /> tic waste on the vulnerable younger F b b b b b b concentration [analysis of variance E
<br /> life stages of fish,we examined how 8 0 .:. .... ffeall ®� -- -- (ANOVA): F2,12 = 19.4; P = 0.0002]. cg
<br /> natural levels of microplastic par- E '` ? b Fish that were not exposed to micro- 0
<br /> tides affected the development,be- c -0.2 "-;, plastics during egg development had 0
<br /> havior,and survival of Eurasian perch N high hatching rates typical of most o
<br /> (Percafluviatilis). =o -0.4 ,y teleosts[e.g.,(20)],with 96%success- g
<br /> The abundance of microplas- •_ fully hatching compared to eggs that o
<br /> tic particles on the Swedish coast m-0.6 a were exposed to polystyrene parti-
<br /> is in the range of 150 to 2400 s a cies.Fish in the high-concentration
<br /> particles/m3 to 68,000 to 102,000 U -0.8 treatment had the lowest hatching
<br /> particles/m3, with average values c 4.5 a rates, at 81%,whereas fish exposed
<br /> being 7000 to 10,000 plastic particles/ N to average microplastic concentra-
<br /> m3, based on zooplankton sam- >- 3.5 tions displayed hatching rates of 89%.
<br /> pling(net mesh size 10 to 300 ) &2' - This suggests that polystyrene par-
<br /> (13,14).Many juvenile fish are likely •,, 2.5 tides may be chemically affecting
<br /> to encounter high concentrations of E I kitj bAt larvae in both average and high con-
<br /> microplastic debris in their nursery g 1.5 itt centrations, as exposure potentially
<br /> habitats, as P microplastic ollutants o, E:; reduces hatching rates of fertilized
<br /> P
<br /> often accumulate in shallow coastal s 0.5 F c c c c C C C P.fluviatilis eggs.
<br /> habitats (13-15). Polystyrene is one 0 -- -- Behavior is a crucial determinant
<br /> of the five major types of micro- -0.5 Conspecific Heterospecific skin Seawater control for essential fitness correlates (e.g.,
<br /> plastic debris found in the marine chemical alarm cue extract overall health), such as growth, re-
<br /> environment(3,16),and ingestion production,and survival(21).To in-
<br /> of polystyrene particles has been Fig.2.Innate responses to olfactory threat cues are affected by expo- vestigate if exposure to microplastic
<br /> found to alter behaviors (17) and sure to microplastic particles. Fish exposed to high concentrations of particles during the first weeks of
<br /> disturb the fat metabolism in fresh- microplastic particles did not significantly alter their proportional change in development altered fish behavior,
<br /> water fishes(18).Hence,in the cur- (A)activity,(B)area use(mm),or(C)freezing behavior after being exposed we measured activity rates[defined
<br /> rent study,we used three different to a conspecific chemical alarm cue compared to the two controls[alarm cue as the number of lines crossed on a
<br /> concentrations of polystyrene micro- from a heterospecific fish(flounder,Platichthys flesus)or water controls. grid(5 mm by 5 mm)present on the
<br /> 1214 3 JUNE 2016•VOL 352 ISSUE 6290 sciencemag.org SCIENCE
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