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Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries
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Biogeochemical modeling showed that even complete removal of microplastics from the ocean starting in 2022 would not fully reverse microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation for centuries due to accumulated impacts on phytoplankton and oxygen cycling. The findings underscore the long-term consequences of microplastic pollution for ocean health.
Abstract Climate change and plastics pollution are dual threats to marine environments. Here we use biogeochemical and microplastic modelling to show that even if there is complete removal of microplastics and cessation of deposition in the oceans in 2022, regional recovery from microplastic-induced remineralization and water column deoxygenation could take hundreds of years for coastal upwelling zones, the North Pacific and Southern Ocean. Surface stratification and reduced sea ice cover further impede regional recovery, highlighting the importance of aggressive mitigation of plastic pollution.
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Data for Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries
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This is a data repository entry supporting the revised study on recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation by Kvale and Oschlies. The data accompanies a manuscript published on millennial-scale ocean oxygen dynamics in response to microplastic pollution.
Data for Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries
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This is a duplicate data repository entry for the same Kvale and Oschlies study on recovery timescales from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation. It is a data record rather than an original research paper.
Data for Microplastic-induced millennial deoxygenation commitment in the Southern Ocean
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This is a data repository entry supporting a modeling study on microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation in the Southern Ocean. The accompanying manuscript, revised to examine centuries-long recovery timescales, was published in Nature Geoscience.
Zooplankton grazing of microplastic can accelerate global loss of ocean oxygen
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Researchers modeled the effect of zooplankton microplastic ingestion on ocean oxygen levels, finding that reduced zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton due to plastic consumption could decrease export of organic carbon to depth, leading to lower oxygen consumption by deep-water bacteria and counterintuitively reducing oxygen loss in some scenarios.
Would the Oceans Become Toxic to Humanity Due to Use and Mismanagement of Plastics?
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