Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wm37pvn0w

Description of the data and file structure

Data were collected during an exposure experiment of fiddler crabs (Minuca vocator) to labelled polyethylene microspheres. Two types of fluorescently labelled Polyethylene microspheres were used: green microspheres with 20-27 μm diameter and 0.995 g cm−3 density (Cospheric; product number UVPMS-BG-0.995) and red microspheres with 75-90 μm in diameter and 0.995 g cm−3 density (Cospheric; product number UVPMS-BR-0.995).  In five 1-m2 plots, 100 ml suspensions of green, small microspheres (13,700,000) and red, large microspheres (6,900,000) were sprayed directly on the forest floor. These plots were distributed within plastic-polluted urban mangrove forests of the southern Caribbean coast of Colombia. Moreover, three procedural controls were implemented in parallel to the exposure experiment to determine whether the fragmentation of microspheres stems from physiological processes occurring within the crab's digestive or respiratory systems, or if it is an outcome of experimental or handling procedures detailed before.

• File 1 (MP_Minuca_vocator) reports the number of whole and fragmented microspheres detected via fluorescence and brightfield microscopy in the hepatopancreas, gills, and hindgut of adult male and female crabs (five replicates per sampling), along with body size and dry mass. Fourteen time points were sampled during the experiment. The file also provides microsphere uptake values (number of whole and fragmented microspheres per gram of dry body mass).
• File 2 (MP_sediment) presents data on the number of whole and fragmented microspheres in sediment samples (five replicates), also collected at 14 time points.
• File 3 (QA_and_CE) includes quality control data assessing microsphere fragmentation in the stock solution, in sediment samples, and during tissue processing.

Files and variables

File: File_3_QA_and_CE.xlsx

Variables

• Experiment_type: describe the type of quality control or control experiment (fragmentation in the stock, Fragmentation in the sediment, and procedural control)
• Date: the day when the experiment was performed, or the sample was taken
• Code: denote the code for each sample
• Sample_type: denote the type of sample (stock of microspheres; sediment; crab´s organ)
• # Large Microspheres: number of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "who.le." 
• # fragments large microspheres: number of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragments.ted."
• % large microspheres fragmented: percentage of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented" in relation to the total.
• # small microspheres: number of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "whole." 
• # fragments small microspheres:  number of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented."
• % small microspheres fragmented: percentage of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented" in relation to the total.

File: File_2_MP_sediment.xlsx

Variables

• Exposure date: the date when the microspheres were sprayed.

Sampling date: the date when the crab was sampled

• Sample_ID: the code for each sediment sample is composed of two parts. The first two characters (e.g., "D2") denote the number of days passed after the start of the exposure, ranging from D2 to D66. The next character (e.g., S1) denotes the sample replicate, ranging from S1 to S5.
• Dry mass (g): samples were oven-dried (50°C) until constant weight, and the weight was registered.
• # whole large MSP: number of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "whole." 
• # fragmented large Msp: number of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented."
• # Total largeMSPp: number of whole and fragmented large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres.
• Density large Msp (Msp g-1): number of whole and fragmented large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres per gram of dry sediment.
• # whole small MMSP number of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "whole."
• # fragmented small Msp: number of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented."
• # Total small Msp: number of whole and fragmented small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres.
• Density small Msp (Msp g-1): number of whole and fragmented small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres per gram of dry sediment.

File: File_1_MP_Minuca_vocator_tissues.xlsx

Variables

• Exposure date: the date when the microspheres were sprayed.

• Sampling date: the date when the crab was sampled. Note that for each crab, data on detected microspheres are given for different organs (hepatopancreas, gill, and hindgut).

• Sample_ID: code for each sample is composed of three parts. The first three characters (e.g., "D-2") denote the number of days passed after the start of the exposure, ranging from D-2 to D-66. The next character (e.g., S1) denotes the sample replicate, ranging from S1 to S5. The last characters (e.g,. R1 denotes the replicate crab, which ranges from 1 to 2.

• Dry mass (g) was estimated from the relationship between body size (carapace width; mm)  and mass (see supplementary materials).

• Carapace width (mm): measured using a vernier calliper.

• Sex (male or female) is determined by visual inspection of sexual characters (see methods). When ovigerous females were detected, they were reported as "Female(Ov)."

• Organ_type: three types of organs were inspected: hepatopancreas, gill,  ls, and hindgut

• # Large_whole_Mps_ Mps: number of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "whole."

• # Large_fragmented_ Mps: number of large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented."

• # Total_large_Mps: number of whole and fragmented large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres.

• Uptake_large_Mps (Mps g-1): number of whole and fragmented large (75-90 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres per gram of dry mass.

• # Small_whole_Mps_ Mps: number of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "whole."

• # Small_fragmented_ Mps: number of small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres classified as "fragmented."

• # Total_small_Mps: number of whole and fragmented small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres.

• Uptake_small_Mps (Mps g-1): number of whole and fragmented small (20-27 μm diameter) fluorescently labeled polyethylene microspheres per gram of dry mass.

  Note: "N/A" was reported for cells corresponding to "hindgut" when hindgut contents were empty

Code/software

Data can be read with Microsoft Excel