Publication Date:
2020-05-04
Description:
High concentrations of microplastics have been found in sea ice but the mechanisms by which they get captured
into the ice and which role ice algae might play in this process remain unknown. Similarly, we do not know how
the presence of microplastics might impact the colonization of sea ice by ice algae. To estimate the ecological
impact of microplastics for Polar ecosystems, it is essential to understand their behaviour during ice formation
and possible interactions with organisms inhabiting sea ice.
In this study we tested the interaction between the ice algae Fragillariopsis cylindrus and microplastic beads
with and without sea ice present and, in a third experiment, during the process of ice formation. With sea ice
present, we found significantly less algae cells in the ice when incubated together with microplastics compared
to the incubation without microplastics. However, during ice formation, the presence of microplastics did not
impact the colonisation of the ice by F. cylindrus cells. Further, we observed a strong correlation between salinity
and the relative amount of beads in the water and ice. With increasing salinity of the water, the relative amount
of beads in the water decreased significantly. At the same time, the relative amount of beads in the ice increased
significantly with increasing ice salinity. Both processes were not influenced by the presence of F. cylindrus. Also,
we found indications that the presence of algae can affect the amount of microplastic beads sticking to the
container walls. This could indicate that EPS produced by ice algae plays a significant role in surface binding
properties of microplastics.
Overall, our results highlight that the interactions between algae and microplastics have an influence on the
uptake of microplastics into sea ice with possible implications for the sea ice food web.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
Format:
application/pdf
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