Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics

Abstract There is strong evidence that the seafloor constitutes a final sink for plastics from land sources. There is also evidence that part of the plastics lying on the shallow seafloor are washed up back to the shoreline. However, little is known on the natural trapping processes leading to such...

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Autores principales:	Anna Sanchez-Vidal, Miquel Canals, William P. de Haan, Javier Romero, Marta Veny
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/c9d3c91ab25044d4991f4d344e10e6fb
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:c9d3c91ab25044d4991f4d344e10e6fb
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:c9d3c91ab25044d4991f4d344e10e6fb2021-12-02T15:23:09ZSeagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics10.1038/s41598-020-79370-32045-2322https://doaj.org/article/c9d3c91ab25044d4991f4d344e10e6fb2021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79370-3https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract There is strong evidence that the seafloor constitutes a final sink for plastics from land sources. There is also evidence that part of the plastics lying on the shallow seafloor are washed up back to the shoreline. However, little is known on the natural trapping processes leading to such landwards return. Here we investigate microplastics and larger plastic debris within beached seagrass remains including balls (aegagropilae) made of natural aggregates of vegetal fibers intertwined by seawater motion. We found up to 1470 plastic items per kg of plant material, which were mainly composed of negatively buoyant polymer filaments and fibers. Our findings show that seagrass meadows promote plastic debris trapping and aggregation with natural lignocellulosic fibers, which are then ejected and escape the coastal ocean. Our results show how seagrasses, one of the key ecosystems on Earth in terms of provision of goods and services, also counteract marine plastic pollution. In view of our findings, the regression of seagrass meadows in some marine regions acquires a new dimension.Anna Sanchez-VidalMiquel CanalsWilliam P. de HaanJavier RomeroMarta VenyNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Anna Sanchez-Vidal Miquel Canals William P. de Haan Javier Romero Marta Veny Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
description	Abstract There is strong evidence that the seafloor constitutes a final sink for plastics from land sources. There is also evidence that part of the plastics lying on the shallow seafloor are washed up back to the shoreline. However, little is known on the natural trapping processes leading to such landwards return. Here we investigate microplastics and larger plastic debris within beached seagrass remains including balls (aegagropilae) made of natural aggregates of vegetal fibers intertwined by seawater motion. We found up to 1470 plastic items per kg of plant material, which were mainly composed of negatively buoyant polymer filaments and fibers. Our findings show that seagrass meadows promote plastic debris trapping and aggregation with natural lignocellulosic fibers, which are then ejected and escape the coastal ocean. Our results show how seagrasses, one of the key ecosystems on Earth in terms of provision of goods and services, also counteract marine plastic pollution. In view of our findings, the regression of seagrass meadows in some marine regions acquires a new dimension.
format	article
author	Anna Sanchez-Vidal Miquel Canals William P. de Haan Javier Romero Marta Veny
author_facet	Anna Sanchez-Vidal Miquel Canals William P. de Haan Javier Romero Marta Veny
author_sort	Anna Sanchez-Vidal
title	Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
title_short	Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
title_full	Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
title_fullStr	Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
title_full_unstemmed	Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
title_sort	seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/c9d3c91ab25044d4991f4d344e10e6fb
work_keys_str_mv	AT annasanchezvidal seagrassesprovideanovelecosystemservicebytrappingmarineplastics AT miquelcanals seagrassesprovideanovelecosystemservicebytrappingmarineplastics AT williampdehaan seagrassesprovideanovelecosystemservicebytrappingmarineplastics AT javierromero seagrassesprovideanovelecosystemservicebytrappingmarineplastics AT martaveny seagrassesprovideanovelecosystemservicebytrappingmarineplastics
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Seagrasses provide a novel ecosystem service by trapping marine plastics

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