Plant balls from a Pomeranian lake, their invertebrate and microplastic components

Two balls with similar diameters (approximately 11–12cm) were found on the bottom of Lake Białe (Kashubian Lake District) at depths of 4m and 7m. The structures were made of tightly-packed plant remains represented mainly by decaying leaves of sp. The balls were colonised by invertebrates (Tubificin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oceanological and hydrobiological studies 2023-09, Vol.52 (3), p.307-311
Main Authors: Witalis, Bartosz, Kornijów, Ryszard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic invertebrates
Aquatic plants
Decay
Insect larvae
Insects
Invertebrates
lake ball
Lakes
larch ball
Larvae
macrophytes
Microplastics
Plant biomass
Plastic pollution
Vegetation
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Summary:Two balls with similar diameters (approximately 11–12cm) were found on the bottom of Lake Białe (Kashubian Lake District) at depths of 4m and 7m. The structures were made of tightly-packed plant remains represented mainly by decaying leaves of sp. The balls were colonised by invertebrates (Tubificinae, Hirudinea, Isopoda, and insect larvae). They also contained pollutants, namely microplastics in blue, white, red, and black colours with a length from 500 to 1000 μm. Four other balls had been earlier reported by another diver in the same lake. According to a report of the local press, similar balls have also been found in Lake Bobęcińskie (Bytowskie Lake District). This article aims to record the first appearance of larch balls in this area.
ISSN:1730-413X
1897-3191
DOI:10.26881/oahs-2023.3.05