

FOLLOWUS
1.School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361024, China
2.State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
frwu1993@163.com
Received:21 January 2025,
Accepted:28 April 2025,
Online First:08 June 2025,
Published:01 March 2026
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WU Fengrun,ZHANG Chengyi,LIU Sha,et al.Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2026,44(02):693-705.
WU Fengrun,ZHANG Chengyi,LIU Sha,et al.Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology[J].Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2026,44(02):693-705. DOI: 10.1007/s00343-025-5027-y.
Biogeomorphic features are common in mangrove ecosystems worldwide
particularly crab burrows
which play a vital role in shaping regional material cycling pr
ocesses. This study provides new insights into the distribution and indicators of microplastics in mangrove sediments by examining the role of biogeomorphology
specifically by investigating the distribution of crab burrows and microplastic pollution in the Jiulong River estuary
China. Results show that the abundance of microplastics in the sediments of mangroves in Jiulong River estuary was 286.45±18.98 items/kg (mean±SE). The microplastic distribution showed seasonal variations
with no significant differences among burrow treatments in rainy season but marked differences in dry season (
P
=0.037;
F
=3.403). There were significantly fewer microplastics in large burrows than in small burrows
with both burrow types showing substantially lower abundance than non-burrow sediments
especially for particles
>
500 μm in size. Vertical stratification was observed in dry season only during which microplastic level was lower in deeper sediment layers than in the surface layers of the burrows. Pearson’s coefficients highlighted significant correlations between crab burrow density and microplastic abundance in the sampling plots. The crab burrow area index (
S
burrow
) was used to reflect the area occupied by crab burrows
and we found that the index exhibited a highly significant correlation with microplastic abundance (
P
<
0.001;
R
=0.997). Overall
the specific effects of crab burrows on the distribution of microplastics were highly variable and shaped by the interplay of hydrodynamic conditions
sedimentary environment stability
and burrow characteristics over time and space. Therefore
crab burrows can be used potentially to characterize the microplastic pollution level in mangrove ecosystems. We recommend to incorporate this biomonitoring method into existing coastal environmental assessment framework.
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