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Papers
40 resultsShowing papers from Durham University
ClearGlobal assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Researchers combined ocean plastic density maps with GPS tracking data for over 7,000 seabirds across 77 petrel species to identify where birds are most likely to encounter and accidentally eat plastic debris. High-risk zones were identified in the Mediterranean, northeast Pacific, and South Atlantic, with threatened species facing disproportionately greater exposure — often in international waters beyond any single country's control.
Marine mammal conservation: over the horizon
This review examines the conservation status of marine mammals, which play important ecological roles and serve as indicators of ocean health. The researchers found that at least 25% of marine mammal species are classified as threatened, facing risks from climate change, fisheries bycatch, pollution, and maritime development. The study outlines research priorities and conservation strategies needed to protect at-risk species while building on recent recovery successes.
Microplastics in seafood: Consumer preferences and valuation for mitigation technologies
A consumer study in Chile found that people were willing to pay significantly more for mussels certified to have reduced microplastic contamination, with information about health risks increasing willingness to pay by 56%. However, combined health and environmental information also made some consumers less likely to buy mussels at all, suggesting that microplastic awareness could reduce seafood consumption. These findings highlight the economic importance of developing microplastic mitigation technologies for the seafood industry.
Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation
Researchers discovered that deep-sea ocean currents, not just vertical settling from the surface, play a major role in concentrating microplastics on the seafloor, creating pollution hotspots with the highest concentrations ever recorded in any seafloor setting. These thermohaline-driven bottom currents sort and accumulate microplastics in the same areas where they deliver oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea life. The findings suggest that the most biologically rich areas of the deep ocean floor are likely also the most contaminated with microplastics.
Transport and Burial of Microplastics in Deep-Marine Sediments by Turbidity Currents
Researchers used flume experiments to investigate how underwater avalanches called turbidity currents transport and bury microplastics in deep-sea sediments. They discovered that microplastic fibers become preferentially trapped between settling sand grains during deposition, even though fragments are more concentrated at the base of the flow. The study suggests that these powerful ocean currents may be responsible for distributing and burying large quantities of microplastics on the seafloor.
Designing biodegradable alternatives to commodity polymers
This review examined the challenges and strategies for designing biodegradable alternatives to commodity polymers, acknowledging that while replacement is necessary, sustainable alternatives must match the performance and economics of conventional plastics.
The Global Turbidity Current Pump and Its Implications for Organic Carbon Cycling
Researchers demonstrated that submarine turbidity currents play a far larger role in global organic carbon cycling than previously recognized, showing that these sediment flows efficiently transfer and bury terrestrial organic carbon rather than it being primarily decomposed on shelves.
Marine Ecological Well-Being and the Development of Human Health Through Marine Natural Products and Nutraceuticals
This review examines the balance between marine ecological health and the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods from ocean species. The study discusses how pollution including microplastics threatens marine ecosystems while also covering the bioactive compounds from marine organisms that show potential antioxidant, cardio-protective, and neuroprotective properties.
Estimating the impact of new high seas activities on the environment: the effects of ocean-surface macroplastic removal on sea surface ecosystems
Researchers assessed the ecological impact of ocean surface plastic removal operations like The Ocean Cleanup, finding that collecting macroplastic also captures surface marine life as bycatch, highlighting the need to account for ecosystem uncertainty when evaluating novel high seas activities.
Diet of non-breeding leach’s storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) in the sub-polar frontal zone of the North Atlantic
Researchers characterized the diet of non-breeding Leach's storm-petrels in the North Atlantic using stomach content analysis and stable isotope techniques. While the primary focus was on natural prey items, the study also documented the presence of ingested plastic debris in the birds' stomachs. The findings contribute to understanding how pelagic seabirds interact with marine plastic pollution during their non-breeding periods at sea.
Microplastic trapping efficiency and hydrodynamics in model coral reefs: A physical experimental investigation
Researchers experimentally investigated how branching coral structures trap microplastics under different water flow speeds and canopy densities using 3D-printed model coral reefs. They found that coral canopies retained 79-98% of microplastics at higher flow velocities, compared to only 10-13% for bare surfaces, through mechanisms including particle interception and settlement on branches. The study suggests that coral reefs may act as significant accumulators of microplastic pollution, with implications for reef ecosystem health.
Lipid mass and free fatty-acid composition of Calanus hyperboreus (CV) exposed to pristine and biofouled microplastics during shipboard incubation experiments (southeastern Greenland, summer 2024)
Researchers measured lipid mass and fatty-acid composition in Arctic copepods exposed to pristine and biofouled nylon-6 microplastics during shipboard experiments off southeastern Greenland. The dataset provides insights into how microplastic exposure under varying food availability and starvation conditions affects the fat reserves and nutritional physiology of a key Arctic zooplankton species.
Benthic biology influences sedimentation in submarine channel bends: Coupling of biology, sedimentation and flow
This study examined how benthic biology influences sedimentation patterns in submarine channel bends, coupling biological, sedimentological, and morphodynamic processes that are typically treated separately. The research found that benthic organisms significantly modify sediment transport and channel morphology in ways that cannot be explained by physical processes alone.
Blood, lead and spheres: A hindered settling equation for sedimentologists based on metadata analysis
A revised equation for the hindered settling of suspensions of non-cohesive particles was proposed based on metadata analysis of 548 datasets, updating the widely used Richardson-Zaki formulation. The new equation has applications for modeling the settling behavior of microplastic particles in water bodies, improving predictions of plastic deposition and residence times in aquatic systems.
Hydrogen rich syngas production through sewage sludge pyrolysis: A comprehensive experimental investigation and performance optimisation using statistical analysis
Researchers investigated sewage sludge pyrolysis as a route to hydrogen-rich syngas, optimizing temperature, heating rate, and feedstock conditions through statistical analysis. Results showed pyrolysis could yield syngas with elevated hydrogen content, supporting sewage sludge as a viable feedstock for renewable fuel production.
Direct Monitoring Reveals Initiation of Turbidity Currents From Extremely Dilute River Plumes
Researchers directly monitored turbidity current generation in the coastal ocean, observing that an exceptionally dilute river plume with sediment concentrations well below the accepted threshold (0.07 kg/m³ vs ~1 kg/m³) generated a fast, erosive turbidity current, challenging existing paradigms about the concentration needed to trigger such events.
An Integrated Pyrolysis Approach for Hydrogen Production and Microplastic Elimination from Sewage Sludge Experimental and Analytical Perspectives [dataset]
Scientists found a way to remove tiny plastic particles called microplastics from sewage sludge (waste from water treatment plants) while also producing clean hydrogen fuel. The high-heat process completely eliminated microplastics that were present in the sludge, which is important because these tiny plastics can contaminate our soil and water when sewage sludge is used as fertilizer. This technique could help protect our environment from plastic pollution while creating renewable energy at the same time.
Novel Acoustic Method Provides First Detailed Measurements of Sediment Concentration Structure Within Submarine Turbidity Currents
Researchers developed a novel acoustic method to measure sediment concentration profiles within submarine turbidity currents for the first time, using acoustic backscatter data to resolve the internal structure of these poorly understood deep-sea sediment transport events.
Digesting Planetary Harms: Ocean Life, Biomaterial Innovation, and Uncanny Ingestions of the Anthropocene
This review examines how scientists and innovators are developing biological solutions to digest or sequester plastic pollutants in ocean ecosystems, tracing efforts ranging from novel cuisines and animal feed additives to engineered microorganisms capable of breaking down plastic waste.
Fiber Optic Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing for Monitoring and Testing of Electric Machinery: Current State of the Art and Outlook
This review surveys the use of fiber Bragg grating optical sensors for monitoring electric motors and power equipment, highlighting their immunity to electromagnetic interference and ability to simultaneously measure multiple physical parameters such as temperature, strain, and vibration.
Carbon and sediment fluxes inhibited in the submarine Congo Canyon by landslide-damming
Researchers used repeat sonar surveys of the Congo Canyon, a massive submarine channel off West Africa, to show that a 2005 underwater landslide temporarily dammed the canyon, trapping roughly 5 million tons of organic carbon-rich sediment over 26 kilometers. The findings reveal that canyon-wall collapses can significantly interrupt the flow of carbon to the deep ocean, affecting both deep-sea ecosystems and global carbon cycling.
Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution
Researchers used nine years of time-lapse mapping to track how an underwater canyon channel in British Columbia evolved, discovering that rapidly migrating erosion steps called knickpoints — moving upstream at 100–450 meters per year — are the primary force reshaping the channel. Understanding these underwater channels matters because they transport sediment, carbon, and pollutants including microplastics to the deep ocean.
Contribution of glaciers to water, energy and food security in mountain regions: current perspectives and future priorities
This review examines the critical role of mountain glaciers in providing water, energy, and food security for hundreds of millions of people, highlighting how accelerating glacial loss due to climate change threatens freshwater availability and calls for urgent research into adaptation strategies.
Microplastics in seafood: Consumer preferences and valuation for mitigation technologies
A consumer survey in Chile found that people were willing to pay about US$4 extra for mussels certified to have 90% lower microplastic content, and informing consumers about health risks increased that price premium by 56%. This signals a market opening for microplastic mitigation technologies in seafood and highlights how public awareness of health risks can drive demand for cleaner food products.