A UB campaign analyses the impact of microplastics on marine fauna in Antarctica
PRESS RELEASE
Microplastic and fibre pollution is a global threat that also affects marine ecosystems in the Antarctic. These particles reach the most remote regions of the world, but how they impact the food chain of marine life is still unknown. Do microplastics have more influence on species that feed close to the seabeds? Does the amount of accumulated contaminants vary along the Antarctic food chain? Answering these questions is the main goal of the MicroANT project, a new initiative of the University of Barcelona under the Spanish Antarctic campaign 2024-2025.
Microplastic and fibre pollution is a global threat that also affects marine ecosystems in the Antarctic. These particles reach the most remote regions of the world, but how they impact the food chain of marine life is still unknown. Do microplastics have more influence on species that feed close to the seabeds? Does the amount of accumulated contaminants vary along the Antarctic food chain? Answering these questions is the main goal of the MicroANT project, a new initiative of the University of Barcelona under the Spanish Antarctic campaign 2024-2025.
The project is being deployed until 28 February on board the oceanographic ship BIO Hespérides and at the Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base on Livingston Island in the South Shetland archipelago. It is led by Professor Lluís Cardona, from the Faculty of Biology and the Institute for Research on Biodiversity (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona. It involves the participation of researchers Manel Gazo (UB, IRBio), Odei García-Garín (UdG), Damian Vales (CESIMAR-CONICET, Argentina) and Natalia Paso-Viola (UNTDF-CONICET, Argentina).
On a route that includes the Drake Passage, the South Shetland Islands and the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula — with Margarita Bay (latitude 67ºS) as the final destination — the team has collected a large number of samples of water, sediments, zooplankton, fish, and penguins and pinnipeds, whose droppings are sampled. The aim is to study the presence of microplastics and characterize them, analyse their chemical composition and decipher how they are transferred between species in the marine food chain, to assess their environmental impact in West Antarctica.
Which marine species are most affected by microplastics?
Microplastics that reach Antarctic latitudes move into the deeper parts of the polar ecosystem through the biological activity of marine species. “In these habitats, microorganisms and small animals can attach themselves to plastic surfaces (biofouling) and this increases their density. In addition, zooplankton can encapsulate microplastics in their excrement, and these two processes make it easier for the plastic particles to sink faster”, explains Cardona, a member of the UB’s Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
“This means that the risk of ingesting microplastics is lower in carnivores living in open water (pelagic). However, it is higher in those that feed at the bottom (benthic), which tend to ingest sediment along with the prey they hunt”, he continues.
So far, nearly 500 samples of marine species have already been collected, which will help to decipher how plastic pollutants move through Antarctic food webs. Specifically, the species studied are the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus), gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus), Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii), leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) and the fish species Notothenia coriiceps, Pleuragramma antarctica and Electrona antarctica, as well as the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba).
The MicroANT project will also analyse the carbon and nitrogen isotopic signal in penguin and pinniped droppings to understand their position in the food chain and relate it to the presence or absence of microplastics. This year, the UB is also participating in the Antarctic research 2024-2025 with the CHALLENGE-2 campaign, led by researchers Elisenda Ballesté and Conxita Àvila (UB and IRBio), with the aim of understanding and mitigating the effects of global change and human activities on marine ecosystems. p>
Photos: Manel Gazo (UB-IRBio)
Multimedia gallery
Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus)
Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella)
Crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus)
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Images of the campaign
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