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Plastic microfibre ingestion by deep-sea organisms
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Researchers provided the first evidence that microplastics are being ingested and internalized by deep-sea organisms living on the ocean floor. The study found plastic microfibres in multiple deep-water species, demonstrating that microplastic contamination has already reached some of the most remote habitats on Earth.
Plastic waste is a distinctive indicator of the world-wide impact of anthropogenic activities. Both macro- and micro-plastics are found in the ocean, but as yet little is known about their ultimate fate and their impact on marine ecosystems. In this study we present the first evidence that microplastics are already becoming integrated into deep-water organisms. By examining organisms that live on the deep-sea floor we show that plastic microfibres are ingested and internalised by members of at least three major phyla with different feeding mechanisms. These results demonstrate that, despite its remote location, the deep sea and its fragile habitats are already being exposed to human waste to the extent that diverse organisms are ingesting microplastics.
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Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments
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Researchers analyzed deep-sea sediment cores and found microplastics present at depth, providing early evidence that deep-sea sediments globally accumulate microplastic pollution far from coastlines and at the seafloor.
Microplastic pollution identified in deep-sea water and ingested by benthic invertebrates in the Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean
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Researchers identified microplastics in deep-sea water samples and found them in the gut contents of benthic invertebrates living on the seafloor — providing evidence that the deep sea is both a sink for microplastics and that deep-sea organisms are ingesting them. The study raises concerns about contamination reaching even the most remote marine ecosystems.
In situ microplastics ingestion by Antarctic marine benthic invertebrates
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Researchers documented in-situ microplastic ingestion by benthic invertebrates in Antarctic waters, finding plastic particles in organisms living on the seafloor despite Antarctica's remoteness from major pollution sources. The results confirm that microplastic contamination has reached even the most isolated seafloor communities on Earth.
Unseen pollutants: Microplastics in deep-sea invertebrates
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Microplastics were detected in deep-sea invertebrates from multiple ocean basins, confirming that plastic contamination has penetrated to organisms living in the darkest, most remote zones of the ocean. This finding raises concerns about the ecological and food-web implications of deep-sea microplastic exposure.
Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments and organisms of the Western Pacific Ocean
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Researchers collected deep-sea sediment and organism samples from multiple sites in the western Pacific Ocean and found microplastics at all locations sampled, with depth, distance from land, and current patterns influencing accumulation, confirming the western Pacific deep sea as a significant microplastic sink.
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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.