Trait strengthening in mussels.xlsx

Plastic pollution is
ubiquitous with increasing recognition of its direct effects on species’
fitness. Little is known, however, about its more subtle effects, including the
influence of plastic pollution on the morphological, functional and behavioural
traits of organisms that are central to their ability to withstand
disturbances. Among the least obvious but most pernicious forms of
plastic-associated pollution are the chemicals that leach from microplastics.
Here, we investigate how such leachates influence species’ traits by assessing
functional trait compensation across four species of intertidal mussels,
through investigations of byssal thread production, movement and aggregation
behaviour for mussels held in natural seawater or seawater contaminated by
microplastic leachates.
Seuront, L.,
Nicastro, K.R., McQuaid, C.D. and Zardi, G.I., Microplastic leachates induce
species‐specific trait strengthening in intertidal mussels. Ecological Applications, p.e2222. https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1002/eap.2222

Seuront, Laurent; Nicastro,
Katy; McQuaid, Christopher; Zardi, Gerardo (2020), Trait strengthening in
mussels, v2, Dataset, https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.905qftthq