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Vertical flux of microplastic, a case study in the Southern Ocean, South Georgia
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Researchers deployed floating sediment traps in the Southern Ocean near South Georgia to measure the vertical flux of microplastics, finding that sinking of microplastics represents a significant and understudied pathway for removing plastic from the ocean surface into deep water.
Estimated plastic debris floating at the ocean surface varies depending on modelling approaches, with some suggesting unaccounted sinks for marine plastic debris due to mismatches between plastic predicted to enter the ocean and that accounted for at the surface. A major knowledge gap relates to the vertical sinking of oceanic plastic. We used an array of floating sediment traps combined with optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy to measure the microplastic flux between 50 and 150 m water depth over 24 h within a natural harbour of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. This region is influenced by fishing, tourism, and research activity. We found a 69 % decrease in microplastic flux from 50 m (306 pieces/m/day) to 150 m (94pieces/m/day). Our study confirms the occurrence of a vertical flux of microplastic in the upper water column of the Southern Ocean, which may influence zooplankton microplastic consumption and the carbon cycle.
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Microplastic in the marine nearshore waters of South Georgia: a source to sink approach
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Researchers conducted the first systematic survey of microplastic concentrations in the nearshore marine waters of South Georgia in the Southern Ocean. The study provides a baseline estimate for an area identified as having likely overlap between microplastic transport pathways and zooplankton habitat.
Vertical Flux of Microplastics in the Deep Subtropical Pacific Ocean: Moored Sediment-Trap Observations within the Kuroshio Extension Recirculation Gyre
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Researchers used deep-ocean sediment traps to measure the downward flux of microplastics in the western North Pacific Ocean over a two-year period. They found that microplastics, primarily fibers, were sinking to depths of nearly 5,000 meters, with seasonal variations linked to biological processes at the surface. The study provides some of the first direct evidence that microplastics are actively being transported to the deep ocean floor.
Falling into the darkness – microplastics sinking fluxes in the deep sea
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Researchers deployed a sediment trap at 230 metres depth on the Condor seamount in the Azores for 12 months, collecting 18 sequential samples to quantify seasonal patterns in microplastic sinking fluxes and investigate the mechanisms by which floating microplastics are transported to the deep sea.
Sinking microplastics at a deep-sea seamount in the North Atlantic: a year-long flux study
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Sinking microplastics were collected from sediment traps deployed at a deep-sea seamount in the North Atlantic, providing direct evidence of how plastic particles travel from the surface to the deep ocean floor. The study quantifies the deep-sea plastic flux at an ecologically significant seafloor feature.
A novel method enabling the accurate quantification of microplastics in the water column of deep ocean
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A new sampling method was developed to accurately measure microplastics in the deep ocean water column, addressing gaps left by traditional net trawls that miss very small particles. Reliable deep-sea sampling is critical since the deep ocean is thought to be a major sink for global microplastic pollution.
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.