Ecologia do mesozooplâncton de uma lagoa costeira subtropical: composição, distribuição espacial e interações com a poluição por microplásticos

Abstract

Studies on the composition and spatial distribution of the Estuarine Lagoon System (SEL), located on the southern coast of Santa Catarina, are of great importance for understanding how mesozooplankton communities use the available resources to complete their life cycles, as well as for understanding the impacts that microplastic contamination has on these individuals. In order to characterize the composition, spatial distribution and to evaluate the bioavailability and rate of encounter between mesozooplankton and microplastics, different sampling areas were analyzed for the southern portion of the SEL. Microplastic contamination was represented by plastic filaments, soft plastics and hard plastics. While mesozooplankton were represented by copepods, Brachyura zoeae and fish larvae, groups that are highly susceptible to interaction with microplastics due to their small sizes. In fact, the results of bioavailable microplastic density, bioavailability and possible encounter rate indicate the vulnerability of these groups, which could cause a local trophic imbalance. This study is the first to report on the composition and spatial distribution of mesozooplankton and to evaluate the density of bioavailable microplastics, bioavailability and the encounter rate between mesozooplankton organisms and microplastics in the SEL, which generates essential data on the extent of microplastic contamination in this lagoon environment.