Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a kind of shrimp crustacean, which plays an important role in the polar ocean. As the main food for whales, penguins and seals, Antarctic krill plays a key role in promoting carbon transport to the depths of the ocean. However, krill and its habitat are affected by climate change and various pollutants including plastics.
The researchers analyzed the effects of nano-plastics on krill under current and future ocean acidification conditions. Nano-plastic is the smallest form of plastic pollution, which can't be observed by naked eyes. Antarctic krill is easily affected by these environmental stressors, because Antarctic krill is closely related to sea ice, which is a well-known plastic accumulation area. The higher the latitude, the faster the ocean acidification.
The research team found that krill larvae exposed to nano-plastic pollution and future ocean acidification are less likely to enter the next growth stage than krill larvae exposed to nano-plastic pollution or ocean acidification. This study confirmed for the first time that artificial stressors such as ocean acidification and nano-plastic pollution inhibited the growth of Antarctic krill in the early life.
With the degradation of marine plastics, it is expected that ocean acidification, microplastics and nano-plastic pollution will increase. The results show that under the background of global climate change, it is very important to understand the overall impact on marine ecosystem and solve plastic pollution. In addition, in view of the fact that the decrease of krill larvae may have serious consequences for Antarctic food web and krill fishery management, the future research on krill early development should consider multiple impacts.
Reprint this article, please indicate the source and author: Lanzhou Literature and Information Center of China Academy of Sciences, Resource and Environment Dynamic Monitoring ExpressNo. 16, 202 1, compiled by Xue Mingmei and Wu Xiuping.