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Seabed microplastics in the European continental shelf: Unravelling physical and biological transport pathways and reciprocal fauna–Polymer relationships
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A large-scale survey of European continental shelf sediments found that microplastics accumulate unevenly on the seafloor, with negatively buoyant polymers concentrating in areas shaped by salinity, temperature, and biological activity. Critically, the study found that seafloor microplastic levels partially explain differences in the communities of bottom-dwelling animals, suggesting plastic pollution is already shaping marine ecosystem structure in European coastal seas.
Marine sediments are recognized as major sinks for microplastics, including remote areas which were previously considered "plastic-free". The understanding of microplastic dynamics in marine sediments is however limited due to the numerous pelagic and benthic pathways involved, and how these are influenced by physico-chemical interactions with the particles. European continental shelves border densely populated areas and face a high risk of microplastic contamination. In this study we quantified microplastics in soft-sediments of European coastal seas and characterized their polymer composition separating surface sediments from deeper layers. We then analyzed the influence of water column and sediment properties on spatial variability of seabed microplastics and investigated the relationship with macrofauna communities. A higher proportion of negatively buoyant polymers in surface sediments (0-1 cm) across stations was explained by seawater salinity and sediment microalgal detritus, highlighting the role of riverine input and possibly the formation of hetero-aggregates in defining polymer deposition. Additionally, we found that seawater temperature influenced polymer composition in deeper sediment layers (0-3 cm), likely together with biological activities performed by macrobenthos such as ingestion and burial. Finally, we demonstrate that seabed microplastics contribute to the spatial variability in macrobenthos, highlighting that marine ecosystem functioning effects of microplastic pollution are likely mediated via the benthos.
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Microplastics Baseline Surveys at the Water Surface and in Sediments of the North-East Atlantic
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations at the sea surface and in sediments across the southern North Sea and northwestern Europe, finding highly variable but widespread contamination. Sediments contained far higher concentrations than surface waters, confirming that the seafloor acts as a major sink for microplastic pollution.
Micro- and mesoplastics in the northern Baltic Sea : their fate in the seafloor and effects on benthic fauna
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This dissertation examined micro- and mesoplastics in the northern Baltic Sea seafloor and tested their effects on bottom-dwelling organisms. Microplastics accumulated in fine-grained seafloor sediments, and exposure experiments showed negative effects on benthic invertebrates at realistic concentrations. The findings contribute to understanding how plastic pollution is affecting benthic ecosystems in a major semi-enclosed sea with significant human fishing and tourism activity.
Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation
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Researchers discovered that deep-sea ocean currents, not just vertical settling from the surface, play a major role in concentrating microplastics on the seafloor, creating pollution hotspots with the highest concentrations ever recorded in any seafloor setting. These thermohaline-driven bottom currents sort and accumulate microplastics in the same areas where they deliver oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea life. The findings suggest that the most biologically rich areas of the deep ocean floor are likely also the most contaminated with microplastics.
Microplastics in the marine environment: A review of their sources, distribution processes, uptake and exchange in ecosystems
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Researchers reviewed the literature on how microplastics move through marine environments, finding that while plastic density helps predict vertical distribution in the water column, biological interactions — such as ingestion and biofouling — better explain why buoyant plastics end up at great ocean depths and transfer through food webs. The review underscores that microplastic bioaccumulation is driven as much by ecology as by physical properties.
Is the microplastic selective according to the habitat? Records in amphioxus sands, Mäerl bed habitats and Cymodocea nodosa habitats
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Microplastics were found in sediments across multiple habitat types in the northern Adriatic Sea—seagrass beds, sandflats, and maerl beds—suggesting plastic contamination is not confined to a particular seafloor habitat type. Different habitats accumulated different amounts, pointing to habitat-specific factors in microplastic retention.
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