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Ups and Downs in the Ocean: Effects of Biofouling on Vertical Transport of Microplastics
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Researchers developed the first theoretical model to simulate how biofouling, the growth of microbial biofilms on plastic surfaces, affects the vertical movement of microplastics in the ocean. The model predicts that depending on particle size and density, fouled microplastics may float, sink to the seafloor, or oscillate at intermediate depths. These findings help explain why small microplastics seem to disappear from the ocean surface and suggest they may concentrate at mid-water depths where vulnerable species live.
Recent studies suggest size-selective removal of small plastic particles from the ocean surface, an observation that remains unexplained. We studied one of the hypotheses regarding this size-selective removal: the formation of a biofilm on the microplastics (biofouling). We developed the first theoretical model that is capable of simulating the effect of biofouling on the fate of microplastic. The model is based on settling, biofilm growth, and ocean depth profiles for light, water density, temperature, salinity, and viscosity. Using realistic parameters, the model simulates the vertical transport of small microplastic particles over time, and predicts that the particles either float, sink to the ocean floor, or oscillate vertically, depending on the size and density of the particle. The predicted size-dependent vertical movement of microplastic particles results in a maximum concentration at intermediate depths. Consequently, relatively low abundances of small particles are predicted at the ocean surface, while at the same time these small particles may never reach the ocean floor. Our results hint at the fate of "lost" plastic in the ocean, and provide a start for predicting risks of exposure to microplastics for potentially vulnerable species living at these depths.
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Modeling submerged biofouled microplastics and their vertical trajectories
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Researchers modeled how biofouling — the growth of algae and microbes on plastic surfaces — affects the vertical movement of microplastic particles in the open ocean. Biofouling increased sinking rates, causing microplastics to accumulate at depth rather than floating at the surface. This has implications for understanding where microplastics end up in the water column and how they are ingested by deep-water organisms.
Vertical transport of buoyant microplastic particles in the ocean: The role of turbulence and biofouling
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Researchers modeled how turbulence and biofouling interact to determine the vertical movement of buoyant microplastic particles in the ocean. They identified three distinct flow regimes that govern whether microplastics stay at the surface, oscillate, or sink to the seafloor. The study helps explain the observation that even low-density microplastics are found in deep ocean sediments, suggesting biofouling-driven density changes are a key transport mechanism.
Modelling submerged biofouled microplastics and their vertical trajectories
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Using an ocean circulation model, researchers simulated the vertical trajectories of biofouled microplastic particles of different sizes across three ocean regions with distinct biological and physical properties. Larger particles (0.1 to 1.0 mm) showed rapid oscillatory sinking and resurfacing behavior with cycles under 10 days, while smaller particles oscillated over up to 130 days, explaining how biofouling drives microplastic distribution through the water column.
Plastic litter in the ocean: Modeling of the vertical transport of micro plastics in the ocean
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This thesis modeled the vertical transport of microplastics in the ocean, incorporating physical properties such as particle density, size, and biofouling into a transport model to better predict where plastic particles accumulate at depth. The work addresses a key gap in understanding the full three-dimensional distribution of ocean microplastics.
Effect of Biofouling on Microplastic Transport in a 3-D Global Eulerian Model
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Scientists built a computer model showing that ocean germs growing on microplastic surfaces (a process called biofouling) cause larger plastic particles to sink hundreds of feet below the surface and spread out, rather than staying concentrated in the famous ocean "garbage patches." This matters because it means microplastics aren't just floating on top of the ocean where we can see and potentially clean them up—they're being carried deeper into marine ecosystems and food webs, which affects seafood safety and our understanding of where this pollution actually ends up.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.