Kari St. Laurent

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Microplastics: Smells like dinner

May 27, 2019September 18, 2022 Kari St. Laurent 0 Comments copepods, dimethyl sulfide, microplastics

Microplastic pollution is a trending concern as these tiny plastic pieces can end up dinner for small ocean critters such as copepods. Copepods are tiny, cosmopolitan marine creatures that are a vital food source for fish, birds, and many more. In the vast ocean, many copepods find their food, algae, by scent, as some algae give off a sulfur smell from the compound dimethyl sulfide. This study set out to test if copepods would be more likely to eat microplastics that were infused with this sulfur-scented compound.

Environmental Science

New on the menu – plastics for microbes

March 20, 2019September 12, 2022 Kari St. Laurent 0 Comments dissolved organic carbon, marine microbes, plastics

There are trillions of pieces of plastic floating across the ocean’s surface. Once plastics enter the ocean, they can release dissolved organic carbon, which is a food source for marine microbes. This study estimated that about 60% of that released dissolved organic carbon is available as an edible food source to marine microbes and can help stimulate growth at the base of the marine food web. As plastic pollution increases, more dissolved organic carbon may be released, having unknown effects on marine microbes.