Plastic in Food Chain
Plastic has entered the food chain through fish and other marine animals. What animals are affected by plastic, and what does it mean for us?
Ecosystems Pollution
Plastic pollution causes a threat to marine ecosystems. Species, both plants and animals, adapt to their environment. A new natural balance is created time and time again. Plastic in the environment upsets that balance. Plastic pollution has arisen in just a few decades and is increasing rapidly. Animal species simply haven’t had the chance to learn how to deal with it, for example by avoiding plastic or by living on it. A species may also be more vulnerable to plastic than another, which disrupts their interdependence.
Ecosystems pollution: the case of the periwinkle
The common periwinkle, a sea snail, is on the menu of the crab. Normally the periwinkles defend themselves by withdrawing into their shell as soon as they detect the presence of a crab. Research has now shown that this defence mechanism is impaired or no longer works because of toxic substances from microplastics, due to the pollution of its ecosystem. The chemical substances that bind with plastic in seawater, or that leak out of the plastic, paralyze the defence mechanism of the periwinkle. This means that attacking crabs can no longer be detected in time.
Mussels and threatened ecosystems
Another study into the threats on marine ecosystems looks at the threads of mussels. Mussels attach themselves to the ground, rock or rope, using thin threads. These byssal threads are exceptionally strong and elastic and can withstand currents and waves. The mussels are also attached to each other with these threads, creating mussel beds. Mussel beds are of great ecological importance. Blue mussels that had been exposed to polyethylene microplastics for almost two months lost their grip. In fact, the strength of their byssal threads decreased by half. These exposed mussels also produced significantly fewer threads. When, as a result, the mussels are washed away, it has a negative effect on the biodiversity of the beds and causes a threat to the marine ecosystem.
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Animals Eat Plastic
Animals eat plastic every day. Turtles mistake plastic bags for food. Whales are found with plastic in the stomach. How does plastic affect them?
Animals stuck in plastic
How many animals get stuck in plastic and die every year? Plastic floating at sea and balloons released in the air can entangle animals.
