Microplastics alter feeding strategies of a coral reef organism

Increasing marine microplastic pollution has detrimentally impacted
organismal physiology and ecosystem functioning. While previous studies
document negative effects of microplastics on coral reef animals, the
potential responses of organisms such as Large Benthic Foraminifera (LBF)
are largely unknown. Here, we document the impact of microplastics on
heterotrophic feeding behavior of LBF. Specimens of Amphistegina gibbosa
were incubated in three experimental treatments: (1) Artemia sp. nauplii
only; (2) pristine microplastic particles only; (3) choice of nauplii and
pristine microplastic. Feeding rates were observed 24 h after initiation
of treatments. A separate experiment was conducted to compare the effect
of conditioned vs. pristine microplastic. Our results indicate that A.
gibbosa is able to selectively feed on Artemia, avoiding interactions with
pristine microplastic. However, the presence of conditioned microplastic
causes similar feeding interaction rates as with Artemia. This suggests
microplastics with longer residence times may have a larger impact on
facultative detritivores.