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An approach for extraction, characterization and quantitation of microplastic in natural marine snow using Raman microscopy
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This study demonstrated that marine snow — the organic aggregates that sink continuously through the ocean — incorporates microplastics and transports them toward the seafloor. The finding identifies biological particle aggregation as an important mechanism for removing microplastics from the upper ocean and depositing them in deep-sea sediments.
Marine snow is a predominant form of sinking particulate carbon in the marine water column and represents a mechanism for transporting microplastics to the sea floor.
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Role of Marine Snows in Microplastic Fate and Bioavailability
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Laboratory experiments demonstrated that marine snow — organic aggregates formed naturally in the ocean — can incorporate microplastics and transport them from surface waters toward the seafloor. The findings provide a physical mechanism explaining how buoyant microplastics sink to become a major component of seafloor sediment pollution.
Microplastics affect marine snow formation and sinking to the ocean's interior
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Researchers conducted laboratory and onboard ship incubations to investigate how microplastics influence marine snow formation and sinking behavior, finding that microplastics significantly enhanced aggregate formation by providing hydrophobic interfaces that promote adhesion with organic matter, with polymer density and morphology modulating aggregate sinking rates.
Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport: Multiple aggregation cycles account for the settling of buoyant microplastics to deep‐sea sediments
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Researchers developed a model explaining how buoyant microplastics end up in deep-sea sediments through repeated cycles of incorporation into marine snow aggregates. They showed that multiple aggregation-sinking-disaggregation cycles can progressively transport low-density microplastics from the ocean surface to the seafloor. The study provides the first comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the full journey of buoyant microplastics from surface waters to deep-sea deposits.
Microplastics Are the Not-So-Secret Ingredient in Marine Snow
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Microplastics are now recognized as a component of marine snow — the particles of organic material that sink from the ocean surface to the seafloor. Plastic particles coated with biofilms act like natural organic aggregates, carrying carbon into the deep ocean and potentially altering the marine carbon cycle.
Modelling the sedimentation of macro-, micro- and nanoplastics in the ocean from surface to sediment
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This study modeled the sedimentation of macro-, micro-, and nanoplastics in the ocean, focusing on the role of the biological pump and marine snow aggregation in removing plastics from the surface and transporting them to depth. Models showed that natural settling processes driven by biologically produced particles are a significant mechanism for transferring plastic pollution to the seafloor.
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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.