Microplastics Impair the Estate Agent Drive in Hermit Crabs

It has now been demonstrated that human-generated microplastics (in cosmetics, in washing machine waste, even in tea bags and also generated by erosion of larger plastic waste) impair the abilities of Hermit crabs to choose an optimal residence (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/29/microplastics-disrupt-hermit-crabs-ability-to-choose-shell-study-suggests). These soft-bodied crabs generally utilise vacated gastropod mollusc shells for protection and, of course, they have to adjust the size of the selected shell to the size of their own bodies (some will even fight other hermits for a preferred residence). Culturing them in tanks with microplastic-laced seawater (now almost ubiquitous in our oceans), impairs their ability to choose the most suitable shell. This will challenge the survival of these species.