We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The faecal microplastic pump: zooplankton efficiently transport microplastics to the ocean depths
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny ocean creatures called zooplankton are eating floating plastic bits and pooping them out in pellets that sink to the deep sea, acting like a natural elevator that carries roughly a third of the ocean's "missing" microplastics down to depths below 1,000 meters. This matters because it helps explain where all the plastic we've dumped into the ocean actually ends up, and it means deep-sea ecosystems (and the food chains tied to them, including seafood we eat) are absorbing more plastic pollution than previously realized.
Microplastics (MPs) contaminate marine environments from surface waters to deep sediments. Approximately half of global plastic production consists of low-density polymers that should float in seawater. However, global estimates indicate that surface ocean MPs account for only a few percent of the total oceanic burden. The widespread occurrence of low-density MPs in deeper waters raises questions about their fate in marine environments. Specifically, microplastic interactions with biota may contribute to their transport throughout the water column. Experimental studies suggest that zooplankton consumption of MP and subsequent packaging in faecal pellets could facilitate their transfer to the deep ocean. Here, we built upon experimental and observational evidence to model the effectiveness of this biological transport mechanism. Our findings reveal that faecal pellets serve as an effective sink for floating and neutral MPs, increasing global transport of MPs below 1000 m by 30% (range: 17-160%). The simulations showed faecal pellets export of 0.7 to 1.6 Tg.year-1 of MP below 1000 m, modifying their global vertical distribution and budgets. These results further revealed that MP export is primarily driven by polymer density in coastal regions, whereas grazing and sinking faecal pellets facilitate MP export in the open ocean. This faecal MP pump represents a critical mechanism for deep-sea MP sequestration and transforms our understanding of MP fate in oceanic systems.
More Papers Like This
The faecal microplastic pump: Zooplankton efficiently transport microplastics to the ocean depths
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified how zooplankton grazing and sinking fecal pellets drive the bulk of microplastic export below 1000 meters in the open ocean, identifying this "fecal pump" as a critical pathway for deep-sea microplastic sequestration that outweighs polymer-density-driven sinking in offshore waters.
Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics in Marine Zooplankton
AI summary Read the abstract
Marine zooplankton ingest microplastics, mistaking them for food, which reduces feeding, impairs reproduction, and can transfer particles up the food chain. Because zooplankton form the base of marine food webs, their ecotoxicological responses to microplastics have cascading consequences for ocean ecosystems and human seafood consumers.
Microplastics in Biota
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastics have been detected in biota across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, demonstrating their ability to enter food webs at multiple trophic levels. Their omnipresence in living organisms raises concerns about bioaccumulation of both the plastic particles and the chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants they carry.
Microplastics in Biota
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers summarized evidence that microplastics have infiltrated living organisms across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, posing a broad threat to biodiversity. Their persistence in biological tissues means they can accumulate up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans through diet.
The Impact of Microplastics on Filter-Feeding Megafauna
AI summary Read the abstract
Filter-feeding megafauna in the Mediterranean, including whale sharks and manta rays, ingest large quantities of microplastics while feeding near the surface where plastic concentrations are highest. These charismatic species serve as bioindicators of microplastic pollution and face direct physiological risk from chronic plastic ingestion and associated chemical contaminants.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.