EVALUATION OF MICROPLASTICS IN FILTER-FEEDING MOLLUSCS FROM INSULAR MARINE PROTECTED OF BRAZIL

• Grant number: 22/16634-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Biological Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Ítalo Braga de Castro
• Grantee: Clara Galacho Pimentel Emmerich Gomes Leal
• Host Institution: Instituto do Mar (IMar). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Population and economic growth, rapid urbanization and changes in the lifestyle of communities have generated an increasing production of solid waste in the world. Among the waste produced by industrial activities, plastic has generated major environmental concerns in the contemporary context. Aiming to protect marine, coastal and freshwater biodiversity and reduce anthropic effects on ecosystems, international conventions have adopted stablishing marine protected areas (MPAs) as a conservation strategy. Despite the regulatory framework, chemical substances and plastic waste end up reaching these MPAs, threatening biodiversity. In this sense, microplastics (MPs) have been detected in several protected areas around the world. Considering that the interaction of MPs with organisms can affect their development, reproductive success and behavior, exposure to these residues can jeopardize the conservation objectives of coastal and island MPAs. In this scenario, the objective of the present study will be to evaluate the concentration of MPs in bivalve molluscs from insular areas of integral protection along the Brazilian coast. For this purpose, samples of bivalve molluscs (from 20 to 30 adult individuals) belonging to different species were obtained throughout samplings carried out in five different MPAs. This approach will allow the generation of a preliminary overview of this type of impact, enabling the adoption of mitigating management strategies.