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Recommendation: Plastic pollution as an emerging threat to deep-sea bioluminescence — R0/PR2
Original title: Recommendation: Plastic pollution as an emerging threat to deep-sea bioluminescence — R0/PR2
Summary
Scientists are raising concerns that plastic pollution reaching even the deepest parts of the ocean may be disrupting bioluminescence—the natural "glow" many deep-sea creatures use to hunt, find mates, and communicate. This review of existing research suggests that plastic particles can stress marine organisms and interfere with the chemical processes that produce this light, potentially throwing off the delicate food chains and ecosystems these creatures are part of. While this doesn't directly show harm to humans, it's a reminder that plastic waste—including microplastics we're also exposed to through food and water—can disrupt biological systems in
Bioluminescence is a predominant phenomenon in marine environments, the production of light by living organisms through enzyme-mediated chemical reactions involving luciferin, the light-emitting substrate and luciferase, the enzyme that catalyses its oxidation. In the deep sea, bioluminescence is not merely a visual trait but a critical ecological function supporting prey capture, mate recognition, communication and other species interactions. Recent evidence indicates that plastic exposure can alter bioluminescent responses through ingestion, tissue stress, oxidative damage and interference with chemical signalling pathways. This is of growing concern because plastic debris and microplastics are increasingly detected from surface waters to abyssal environments, making them bioavailable to deep-sea organisms. Since many deep-sea organisms depend on bioluminescence for survival and reproduction, any impairment of light production mechanisms can influence not only individual fitness but also prey–predator interactions, trophic transfer and ecosystem functioning. This letter highlights plastic pollution as an emerging threat to deep-sea bioluminescence and calls for long-term monitoring and policy attention to protect biological light-mediated ecological processes in the deep ocean.