Submitted and accepted for the Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice (SCCP) 2016. Nominated for the KZN Premier's Award 2016.

1. Bianca Tree (213547283)
University of KwaZulu-Natal
School of Life Sciences
bianki.tree@gmail.com
Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice 2016
Title: The uptake of Microplastics by an important ecosystem engineer from
KwaZulu-Natal
Abstract:
Microplastics are plastic particles with diameters <5 mm, and are derived from
industrial production for their use in cosmetics and household products, as well as
from the breakdown of larger plastic items. Microplastics in marine environments
raise increasing concern as they are available for ingestion by important lower
trophic level organisms. Additionally, microplastics may potentially be contaminated
with toxicants such as heavy metals and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s)
present the ocean, which may bioaccumulate in the marine food web. Sea urchins
are considered to be important ecosystem engineers, as they have the ability to
modify the marine ecosystems in which they live. Through transforming biotic and
abiotic materials from one physical state to another, sea urchins create habitats for
other marine organisms and control biodiversity. Sea urchins are greatly threatened
by microplastic pollution as there are potentially two routes through which these
organisms can take up microplastics. Tripneustes gratilla, a species of sea urchin
inhabiting the rocky shores along KwaZulu-Natal, takes up microplastic fibres into
their water vascular system though their madreporite pores. It has also been
observed that seaweed, which are the primary food source for sea urchins, can
become contaminated with microplastics. It is currently being investigated whether
the uptake of various concentrations of microplastic fibres will have an effect on the
water vascular system of T.gratilla. The investigation also aims to determine whether
microplastic fibres will be taken up by T. gratilla though feeding on microplastic
contaminated seaweed.
Key words: microplastics, ecosystem engineers, sea urchins, water vascular
system, seaweed, feeding