Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 140, Issue -, Pages 603-609Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.016
Keywords
Human impact; Marine litter; Solid waste; Ocypode; Plastic; Sandy beach
Funding
- Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior Brazil (CAPES) [001]
- Research Foundation of Rio de Janeiro -FAPERJ [E-26/111.395/2012]
- Brazilian Agency for Research Development -CNPq [470142/2013-8]
- FAPERJ [E-26/202.770/2017]
- CNPq [301.259/2017-8]
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Sandy beaches pollution by marine debris imposes arguably threats for the biodiversity, but interaction of beach bioindicators (e.g., ghost crabs) with debris has been rarely assessed. We aimed to test whether the Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) misidentifies marine debris as food sources. Cigarette butts, straws, popsicle sticks, paper napkins and styrofoams were mixed into solutions with odour of natural and industrialized food. The debris were placed around burrows on beaches with distinct human pressures (low, medium and high impact). The species interacted with marine debris more frequently in situations of lower human impact, lower prey abundance and larger burrow diameter. These results indicate that in areas with low prey availability and larger individuals, interactions between ghost crabs and debris left by beach visitors and/or transported by winds and currents to low-impact beaches are more likely to occur, mainly near to urbanized areas.
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