Baby fish prefer plastic particles to the zooplankton that makes up their natural diet, according to a study published in the journal Science. The researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden “found that the larval fish that were exposed to microplastic particles displayed a shift in behavior and stunted growth,” reports The Christian Science Monitor in an article on the study.
“This is the first time an animal has been found to preferentially feed on plastic particles and is cause for concern,” said Peter Eklöv, an ecologist at Uppsala.
Among the shifts in behavior cited in the study was that the fish ignored the smell of predators. “When [the fish] were put in the same location as pike, a natural predator, the fish exposed to microplastic particles were four times more likely to be eaten than those who were not exposed. Within 48 hours, all the fish exposed to microplastics were dead,” said the Monitor.
When plastic waste enters the ocean, it eventually fragments into microplastic particles, defined as being less than five millimeters. Microplastic also comes from “microscopic manufactured plastics, such as microbeads in hygiene products,” said the Monitor. While the researchers pointed to the need for more biodegradable plastics, a United Nations report released in May found that the biodegradable plastics currently on the market are far less effective than their marketing campaigns would have consumers believe.