Hot Mess: Effects of Microplastics on Heat Tolerance and Reproduction
Poster Number
13B
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) pervade nearly every aspect of our daily lives and the ecosystems we inhabit. With the rapid expansion of industrialization and inadequate waste management, MPs have accumulated in a diverse range of organisms, posing dire physiological and ecological challenges. Organisms are also increasingly exposed to heat wave events, but the effects of MPs on heat tolerance are unknown. Here, we explored the effects of nylon MPs on heat tolerance and resource allocation to reproductive and somatic tissues in the variable field cricket (Gryllus lineaticeps), which is prevalent across California. We fed female crickets varying concentrations of MPs (0%, 0.06%, or 1.2% w/w in food), and measured (1) food consumption, (2) the amount of ovary mass gained (index of reproductive investment), (3) the amount of somatic mass gained (index of investment into self-maintenance), and (4) heat tolerance. We hypothesized a dose-dependent response whereby crickets exposed to higher concentrations of MPs would exhibit reduced heat tolerance and investment into ovaries. Our study will help us understand the organismal consequences of MP contaminants, particularly in the context of climate change because the MP and climate crises pose synergistic threats to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. We hope this knowledge serves to alleviate the effects of MPs that can adversely affect human health, exceedingly contributing to the advancement of holistic and sustainable living practices.
Location
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Start Date
27-4-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
27-4-2024 12:30 PM
Hot Mess: Effects of Microplastics on Heat Tolerance and Reproduction
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Microplastics (MPs) pervade nearly every aspect of our daily lives and the ecosystems we inhabit. With the rapid expansion of industrialization and inadequate waste management, MPs have accumulated in a diverse range of organisms, posing dire physiological and ecological challenges. Organisms are also increasingly exposed to heat wave events, but the effects of MPs on heat tolerance are unknown. Here, we explored the effects of nylon MPs on heat tolerance and resource allocation to reproductive and somatic tissues in the variable field cricket (Gryllus lineaticeps), which is prevalent across California. We fed female crickets varying concentrations of MPs (0%, 0.06%, or 1.2% w/w in food), and measured (1) food consumption, (2) the amount of ovary mass gained (index of reproductive investment), (3) the amount of somatic mass gained (index of investment into self-maintenance), and (4) heat tolerance. We hypothesized a dose-dependent response whereby crickets exposed to higher concentrations of MPs would exhibit reduced heat tolerance and investment into ovaries. Our study will help us understand the organismal consequences of MP contaminants, particularly in the context of climate change because the MP and climate crises pose synergistic threats to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. We hope this knowledge serves to alleviate the effects of MPs that can adversely affect human health, exceedingly contributing to the advancement of holistic and sustainable living practices.
