Title :

Size-dependent response of the mussel collective behaviour to plastic leachates and predator cues

Author(s) :

Uguen, Marine [Auteur]
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187 [LOG]
Gaudron, Sylvie [Auteur]
Nicastro, Katy [Auteur]
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187 [LOG]
Zardi, Gerardo [Auteur]
Université de Caen Normandie [UNICAEN]
Spilmont, Nicolas [Auteur]
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187 [LOG]
Seuront, Laurent [Auteur]
Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187 [LOG]

Journal title :

Science of The Total Environment

Pages :

164037

Publisher :

Elsevier

Publication date :

2023

ISSN :

0048-9697

English abstract : [en]

Both individual and collective anti-predator behaviours are essential for the survival of many species. This is particularlytrue for ecosystem engineers such as intertidal mussels, which through their collective behaviour ...
Show more >Both individual and collective anti-predator behaviours are essential for the survival of many species. This is particularlytrue for ecosystem engineers such as intertidal mussels, which through their collective behaviour create novelhabitats for a range of organisms and biodiversity hotspots. However, contaminants may disrupt these behavioursand consequently indirectly affect exposure to predation risk at the population level. Among these, plastic litter is amajor and ubiquitous contaminant of the marine environment. Here, we assessed the impact of microplastic (MP)leachates of the most produced plastic polymer, polypropylene (PlasticsEurope, 2022), at a high but locally relevantconcentration (i.e. ca. 12 g L−1) on the collective behaviours and anti-predator responses of both small and largeMytilus edulis mussels. Indeed, in contrast to large mussels, small ones reacted to MPleachates, showing a taxis towardsconspecifics and stronger aggregations. All mussels reacted to the chemical cues of the predatory crab, Hemigrapsussanguineus, but with two different collective anti-predator behaviours. Small mussels only showed a taxis towards conspecificswhen exposed to predator cues. This response was also found in large ones with a tendency to form morestrongly bound aggregations and a considerable reduced activity, i.e. they significantly delayed their time to start toform aggregations and decreased their gross distance. These anti-predator behaviours were respectively inhibitedand impaired in small and large mussels by MP leachates. The observed collective behavioural changes may reduceindividual fitness by enhancing predation risk, particularly in small mussels that are the crab H. sanguineus's favouritepreys. Given the key role of mussels as ecosystem engineers, our observations suggest that plastic pollution may haveShow less >

Language :

Anglais

Collections :

• Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences (LOG) - UMR 8187

Source :

Harvested from HAL