| Title | Boring crustaceans damage polystyrene floats under docks polluting marine waters with microplastic |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2012 |
| Authors | Davidson, Timothy M. |
| Secondary Title | Marine Pollution Bulletin |
| Volume | 64 |
| Number | 9 |
| Pagination | p.1821-1828 |
| Call Number | OSU Libraries: Electronic Subscription |
| Keywords | aquaculture, Coos Bay, crustaceans, invasive species, isopods, pollution, salinity, Sphaeroma quoianum, Yaquina Bay, Yaquina Bay Oyster Farm |
| Notes | A nonindegenous boring isopod, S. quoianum, bores into Styrofoam floats commonly used in docks, espeically at aquaculture facilities. The process of boring out burrows in the plastic caused microplastic pollution, which can harm species that eat it, and release persistent pollutants. Floats at an oyster farm in Yaquina Bay and a similar facility at Tainan, Taiwan were severely damaged by the borers. A survey of the shoreline around Yaquina Bay was made looking for microparticles from damaged floats. Includes photographs of damaged floats from Yaquina Bay. The type of plastic influenced the boring: while the softer Styrofoam floats were ideal habitat, the isopods avoided harder XPS foam in the laboratory. Coos Bay was also surveyed |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.06.005 |
| Series Title | Marine Pollution Bulletin |
