On the interaction of buoyant plastic debris and sea-surface layer organisms

Abstract Surface ocean plastic and microplastic concentration have intensified in the past decade, bringing multiple potential adverse effects to ecosystems. This increased presence and related persistence of plastics in the marine environment pose questions about their interaction with sea-surface organisms, which are usually impacted by hazardous chemical leachates. Coastal regions, as entry pathways of most plastic litter through mismanaged plastic waste on land and river runoff, are zones of high plastic accumulation. The interactions of free-floating marine organisms and buoyant plastic debris (BPD) are identified as one of the issues of concern that would potentially harm future global biodiversity, needing immediate public attention and action. This article addresses emerging and underexplored ecological impacts of the plastic problem by focusing on the interaction of the sea surface layer pelagic community with BPD. The plastic litter and their macro and micro variants harbor organisms of diverse lineage, and this nursing stimulates direct behavioral and physiological changes that are able to alter the structure and the composition of a community. Such BPD-induced alteration impairs elementary traits of the most diverse group of bio-indicator and keystone organisms, such as buoyancy mechanisms and bio-physical coupling behaviors. Subsequently, such crucial impacts on remarkable eco-indicator organisms can potentially generate novel marine environmental challenges. Policy interventions on such ubiquitous nexus of BPD and sea-surface dwelling organisms that potentially disrupt crucial ecological indicators are necessary to tackle the associated social, environmental, and economic impacts.