Experimental exposure of blue mussel beds to soft and rigid macroplastics reveals litter entrapment but no physiological effects

Abstract of the Journal Article: "Experimental exposure of blue mussel beds to soft and rigid macroplastics reveals litter entrapment but no physiological effects" Plastic items like bags, bottles, and containers dominate marine litter, yet their effects on habitats and ecosystems remain understudied. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis, Mytilus trossulus) form beds that support biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services. In an experiment, we tested how planar plastic debris, rigid or soft, influences mussel aggregates with regard to their structure and their physiological performance. Mussel individuals were collected in Kerteminde Fjord and were transferred to a laboratory where they were allowed to form small aggregates on PVC plates (30 individuals each). During formation, half of the aggregates were polluted with planar plastic litter of a defined type (soft PE bags or rigid fragments of PET bottles) and amount, while the other half remained uncontaminated. All aggregates were then deployed in the fjord for 14 weeks in the winter 2020/21. Afterwards, we measured the cumulative filtration and respiration rates, filtration‑to‑respiration ratios, condition index, growth rates, aggregate rugosity, and byssus strength. Rigid plastics significantly enhanced aggregate rugosity, while all physiological responses as well as byssus formation remained unchanged. Notably, soft plastics were often concealed within aggregates and this was presumably caused by the movements of the mussels. These findings suggest that mussel beds may act as sinks for plastic litter, while soft and film-like litter items can be fully embedded in their three-dimensional matrix. Explanation of the single files: Contrast_Film.csv: Contrast Analysis between blue mussel aggregates with and without macroplastics Controls_Plotting.csv: for Plotting the controls without plastics Hydrography_E1.R: for plotting and analyzing the Hydrography Hydrography.csv: for plotting and analyzing the Hydrography Main Data Analysis.R: all statististical analyses conducted Plotting_R.R: all plotting conducted Summary_R_Contrast Analysis_Contrast1.csv: contrast analysis between control aggregates without plastics and aggregates with plastics Summary_R_Contrast Analysis_Contrast2.csv: contrast analysis between control aggregates without plastics and aggregates with plastics Summary_R_Contrast Analysis_Contrast3.csv: contrast analysis between control aggregates without plastics and aggregates with plastics Summary_R_Contrast Analysis_Contrast4.csv: contrast analysis between control aggregates without plastics and aggregates with plastics Summary_R_Contrast Analysis_Contrast5.csv: contrast analysis between control aggregates without plastics and aggregates with plastics Summary_R_plot_Control: for plotting control aggregates without plastics Summary_R_plot_Plastic: for plotting aggregates with microplastics Summary_R_plot.csv: for plotting Summary_R.csv: for analyses Summary_WO_Control_R.csv: for analyses without control