[M-IS17] Ocean Plastics, an earth science perspective

[MIS17-09] Zooplankton as a suitable bioindicator for small microplastics: perspectives and challenges

*Maria Belen Alfonso¹, Haruka NAKANO¹, Suppakarn Jandang¹, Andres Hugo Arias², Isobe Atsuhiko¹ (1.Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, 2.Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía (IADO), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET, Florida, 8000, Complejo CCT CONICET Bahía Blanca, Edificio E1, B8000BFW, Bahía Blanca, Argentina)

Keywords:zooplankton, bioindicator, microplastics, uptake

Bioindicators are helpful where the indicated environmental factor cannot or is difficult to be measured and where the environmental factor is challenging to interpret. In recent years, much effort has been made to measure and understand the impact of microplastics (MPs) in the ocean. Despite the existing harmonization guidelines for MPs’ research, there are still discrepancies among the applied methodologies and future challenges. In this sense, it is critical to move forward to a methodology consensus and cooperate in developing novelty techniques to study the smallest MPs fractions (<100 μm), which are currently underestimated in water due to methodology limitations. The procedure to obtain the particles in water samples can lead to the contamination and loss of these weathered and fragile particles. Zooplankton organisms can ingest MPs from water actively or by mistake. In this sense, zooplankton can work as a suitable proxy tool for the presence of small MPs in ocean waters. In addition, studying the impact of MPs ingestion by zooplankton organisms in the environment needs reliable information for experimental laboratory trials. This approach can bring novel perspectives for MPs’ research as well as new challenges. In this presentation, we will discuss the key aspects of zooplankton as bioindicators of MPs in water samples and how they will contribute to solving the problem of measuring small microplastics in the ocean.