Microplastic exposure and biological correlates in a key intertidal crab (Grapsus grapsus) from the Galápagos Islands

Fernando Cisneros-Bejarano; Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez; Daniela Alarcón-Ruales; Andrés Moreira-Mendieta; Gregory A. Lewbart; Emma Kieffer; Emily K. Tucker-Retter; Guinevere Nease; Alissa B. Mones; Núria Trilla-Prieto; Odei Garcia-Garin

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119688

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Microplastic exposure and biological correlates in a key intertidal crab (Grapsus grapsus) from the Galápagos Islands

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Microplastic exposure and biological correlates in a key intertidal crab (Grapsus grapsus) from the Galápagos Islands

Fernando Cisneros-Bejarano, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Daniela Alarcón-Ruales, Andrés Moreira-Mendieta, Gregory A. Lewbart, Emma Kieffer, Emily K. Tucker-Retter, Guinevere Nease, Alissa B. Mones, Núria Trilla-Prieto, …

Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol.229, pp.1-7

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119688

PMID: 41946045

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Abstract

Galápagos archipelago

Gastrointestinal tract

Gills

Grapsus grapsus

Plastic

Sally lightfoot crab

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive contaminants in marine ecosystems, yet data from remote oceanic islands remain limited. We quantified MP occurrence in gills and gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of Sally Lightfoot crab (Grapsus grapsus, n = 60) from three sites on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos Marine Reserve, and assessed relationships with morphometric and physiological indices. MPs were detected in 78% of gills and 52% of GIT samples, with a total of 138 particles identified. Fibers predominated (77%), mostly <1 mm, and cellulose was the most frequent polymer, followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyolefin (PO) blends. Gill tissues exhibited higher MP loads and greater polymer diversity than GIT samples, indicating branchial interception as a key exposure pathway. Negative binomial models showed no significant associations between GIT MP abundance and the scaled mass index, heart rate, sex, or site. These findings reveal widespread exposure to MPs in an ecologically important intertidal crustacean and confirm that even protected insular ecosystems are permeated by anthropogenic microdebris.

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Title: Microplastic exposure and biological correlates in a key intertidal crab (Grapsus grapsus) from the Galápagos Islands
Authors: Fernando Cisneros-Bejarano - Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez - University of the Sunshine Coast
Daniela Alarcón-Ruales - University of the Sunshine Coast
Andrés Moreira-Mendieta - Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Gregory A. Lewbart - Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Emma Kieffer - Cornell University
Emily K. Tucker-Retter - North Carolina State University
Guinevere Nease - North Carolina State University
Alissa B. Mones - North Carolina State University
Núria Trilla-Prieto - Universitat de Barcelona
Odei Garcia-Garin (Corresponding Author) - Universitat de Barcelona
Publication details: Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol.229, pp.1-7
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119688
ISSN: 1879-3363
PMID: 41946045
Data Availability: The data supporting the findings of this study are available in the Supplementary Materials.
Grant note: OG-G was supported by a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral grant (JDC2023-050962-I), funded by MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the FSE+.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991228951702621
Output Type: Journal article

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