Abstract
The marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus is a filter feeder and a keystone species of the Northern Atlantic. Microplastics (MPs) are commonly defined as microscopic plastic particles sized between 100 nm and 5 mm, a size range covering the preferred prey size of C. finmarchicus. Interactions between MPs, microalgal cells and their zooplanktonic predators can therefore not be excluded. C. finmarchicus are therefore exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of comprehensively characterized 10 m pellets of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and general purpose polystyrene (GPPS) in both the absence and presence of microalgae. Custom made transparent plankton wheels immersed in a water bath are used to expose this calanoid in a (semi-)static setup in order to keep microplastic and algal particles in suspension and maintain temperature and light conditions constant. Ingestion, excretion and accumulation rates of MPs in C. finmarchicus are quantified. In addition, exposure effects on biomarkers of fitness with ecological consequence are studied. For example effects on naupliar growth and development rates are investigated as well as effects on adult female fertility and fecundity.
