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High Microplastic Contamination in Juvenile Tri-Spine Horseshoe Crabs: A Baseline Study of Nursery Habitats in Northern Beibu Gulf, China

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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in marine sedimentary environments. Their occurrence in horseshoe crabs and interactions with the sedimentary environment has not been determined. In this study, MPs, mostly microfibers, were found in all extracted gastrointestinal tract (GIT) samples of the juvenile Tachypleus tridentatus from the northern Beibu Gulf, China. The MP concentrations (4–53 items ind−1) were higher than those in most marine benthic invertebrates (< 15 items ind−1) reported in Chinese waters, despite their generally low level in habitat sediments (9-1818 items kg−1). The correlation between the juveniles and sediments was not evident, but the abundance in juvenile horseshoe crab GITs decreased with ages. The findings were relevant to the life-history characteristics of the species, typically with limited dispersal capability and their spending nine years or longer time living in mangrove wetlands during low tides, with apparent ontogenetic changes in their diets. These baseline data enable a better understanding of MP availability in benthic macroinvertebrates, and the ecological risks present in the ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Paul Shin and many other researchers who provided feedback and information which considerably enhanced the quality of this manuscript. The assistance from Dr. Chun-Chieh Wang from Guangxi Academy of Sciences for preparing the maps is much appreciated. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41907320), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Region (No. 2019 JJA150043), the Guangxi BaGui Youth Scholars Programme, and Guangxi Recruitment Program of 100 Global Experts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011, China

    Xueping Wang, Yijian Fu, Zhou Wu, Danmei Qin, Xing Huang, Jingmin Zhu & Kit Yue Kwan

  2. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Qinzhou, 535011, China

    Xueping Wang, Xing Huang & Jingmin Zhu

  3. Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Hoi Shing Lo & Siu Gin Cheung

  4. State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Siu Gin Cheung

  5. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Qinzhou, 535011, China

    Kit Yue Kwan

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  1. Xueping Wang
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Correspondence to Siu Gin Cheung or Kit Yue Kwan.

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Wang, X., Lo, H.S., Fu, Y. et al. High Microplastic Contamination in Juvenile Tri-Spine Horseshoe Crabs: A Baseline Study of Nursery Habitats in Northern Beibu Gulf, China. J. Ocean Univ. China 21, 521–530 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-022-5163-3

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