Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology

Fengrun WU; Chengyi ZHANG; Sha LIU; Tao WANG

doi:10.1007/s00343-025-5027-y

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Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology

Ecology | Updated：2026-05-07

- Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology
- Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology
- 海洋湖沼学报(英文) 2026年44卷第2期页码：693-705
- Affiliations：
  
  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
- Author bio：
  
  frwu1993@163.com
- Funds：
  
  the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2022J05278)
- DOI：10.1007/s00343-025-5027-y
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-01-21，
  
  录用：2025-04-28，
  
  网络首发：2025-06-08，
  
  纸质出版：2026-03-01
- Accepted：
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Fengrun WU, Chengyi ZHANG, Sha LIU, 等. Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology[J]. 海洋湖沼学报(英文), 2026,44(2):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.
Fengrun WU, Chengyi ZHANG, Sha LIU, 等. Distribution of microplastics in mangrove sediments: role of biogeomorphology[J]. 海洋湖沼学报(英文), 2026,44(2):693-705. DOI： 10.1007/s00343-025-5027-y.

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.

摘要

Abstract

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 (

=0.037;

=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 (

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 (

0.001;

=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.

关键词

Keywords

references

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