Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Summer 7-30-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

August 2026

Department

Biological Sciences

College Granting Degree

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Department Granting Degree

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

William Brooks

Thesis/Dissertation Co-Chair

Michael McCoy

Abstract

With the continuous rise in economic supply and demand, an enormous increase in waste, litter, and pollution has been seen globally, with plastic pollution being the most abundant category. Microplastic (< 5 mm), derived from larger plastics, pollution is intensely widespread across marine ecosystems and can be transferred across trophic levels through predator-prey interactions. Recent studies have shown that ingestion of MPs can damage cells, tissues, and internal organs and increases oxidative stress leading to malformations, reduced feeding and growth, , and slower developmental rates in a wide array of organisms. This study examined the trophic transfer of microplastics (MPs) from the anemone Exaiptasia pallida to its specialist predator Berghia stephanieae, and evaluated the effects of exposure on predator behavior. A dose-response experiment demonstrated that MP retention in E. pallida decreased over time, although higher exposure concentrations resulted in greater initial microplastic concentrations. Trophic transfer to B. stephanieae was confirmed through feeding experiments. Behavioral assays revealed that B. stephanieae did not exhibit a preference between MP-exposed and control prey. However, microplastic exposure reduced feeding latency, and disrupted group foraging behavior, with fewer individuals feeding and reduced aggregation on prey. These findings indicate that while microplastics may not alter prey selection, they can significantly influence predator behavior and social interactions. This suggests that microplastic pollution may have broader ecological consequences by altering trophic dynamics and energy transfer within marine food webs.

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