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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic-induced shifts in bioturbation and oxygen penetration depth in subtidal sediments
ClearModelled broad-scale shifts on seafloor ecosystem functioning due to microplastic effects on bioturbation
This study modelled how microplastic contamination of marine sediments affects bioturbation — the mixing of sediment by bottom-dwelling organisms — and the cascading effects on seafloor ecosystem functions like nutrient cycling. The model predicts that in MP-contaminated sediments, organic matter accumulates in the oxygen-rich zone, stimulating aerobic respiration by around 18%. These results suggest microplastics can reshape fundamental biogeochemical processes in seafloor ecosystems at broad scales, with implications for ocean carbon and nutrient cycling.
Effects of microplastics pollution on the abundance and composition of interstitial meiofauna
Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in beach sediments negatively affected the abundance and community composition of meiofauna at lower intertidal levels on urban Colombian beaches, with microplastics explaining 39% of community variation in the most heavily impacted zone.
Changes in particle mixing by benthic infauna induced by microplastics: implications for nitrogen cycling in marine sediments
Researchers found that increasing polypropylene microplastic concentrations impaired deep-burrowing behaviour of the marine worm Macroclymenella stewartensis but not the bivalve Macomona liliana, with microplastics also modifying interspecific relationships and thereby disrupting particle mixing and nutrient cycling processes in marine sediments.
Short-term microplastic effects on marine meiofauna abundance, diversity and community composition
Researchers examined short-term effects of microplastics on marine meiofauna, measuring changes in abundance, species diversity, and community composition after plastic addition, finding dose-dependent disruption to these ecologically important small invertebrates.
Modelled broad-scale shifts on seafloor ecosystem functioning due to microplastic impacts on bioturbation
Model simulations incorporating experimental bioturbation data found that broad-scale reductions in seafloor bioturbation caused by microplastic impacts on marine invertebrates could significantly alter nutrient cycling in marine sediments at ecosystem scales.
A Study of the Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Communities in Marine Sediments
This study investigated how the presence of microplastics in marine sediments affects microbial communities and, specifically, the methane cycle, finding that microplastics significantly altered microbial community structure and function. Since marine sediment microbes play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic contamination could have broader climate-relevant effects beyond direct toxicity.
Microplastic impacts on soil and sediment bioturbation: insights from microcosm experiments across diverse ecosystems
This study used microcosm experiments across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems to assess whether microplastics affect bioturbation — the physical reworking of sediment and soil by organisms. Microplastic exposure reduced bioturbation activity in multiple ecosystems, with implications for nutrient cycling and sediment health.
Microplastics affect organic nitrogen in sediment: The response of organic nitrogen mineralization to microbes and benthic animals
Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics affect organic nitrogen cycling in sediments, measuring the responses of key nitrogen-transforming microorganisms. They found microplastics alter the composition of organic nitrogen and suppress certain nitrogen cycling processes.
Microbial Community Dynamics and Biogeochemical Cycling in Microplastic-Contaminated Sediment
This review summarizes current research on how microplastics alter microbial communities and nutrient cycling processes in sediments at the bottom of water bodies. Researchers found that the effects depend on the type of plastic, exposure duration, and the specific sediment environment, with biodegradable plastics causing the most significant changes. The study highlights that microplastics in sediments can reshape the microbial ecosystems that drive essential biogeochemical processes like carbon and nitrogen cycling.
Marine BioturbationDrives Global Microplastic Cyclingand Biological Exposure Risks
Using a global database of 1,697 benthic organism samples from 203 species and 3,724 sediment samples, researchers found that bioturbation by sea-floor organisms plays a dual role — both redistributing microplastics deeper into sediments and resuspending them into the water column — with filter feeders accumulating significantly more microplastics than mobile foragers.
Microplastics\nAffect the Ecological Functioning of\nan Important Biogenic Habitat
This study exposed intact sediment cores containing oysters and mussels to microplastics and found significant changes in the diversity and functioning of the bivalve-dominated community, including reduced biodiversity and altered nutrient cycling. The findings show that microplastics affect not just individual animals but entire benthic ecosystem functions important for water quality and marine food production.
The distribution and ecological effects of microplastics in an estuarine ecosystem
Researchers surveyed 22 intertidal sites and found that microplastic abundance, size, and diversity correlated with benthic microalgal communities and sediment biostabilization properties in an estuarine ecosystem.
Impacts of macro - and microplastic on macrozoobenthos abundance in intertidal zone
This study assessed how macro- and microplastics affect the abundance of bottom-dwelling invertebrates in an intertidal zone, finding that plastic contamination is linked to reduced invertebrate diversity. The results highlight ecological impacts of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems that provide food resources for humans.
Response of sediment-dwelling bivalves to microplastics and its potential implications for benthic processes
This microcosm study found that microplastics affect the feeding, burrowing, and bioirrigation behaviors of two sediment-dwelling bivalve species, with effects that could alter benthic nutrient cycling. Changes in bivalve behavior caused by microplastic exposure have broader implications for the ecosystem services these organisms provide in marine sediments.
Organic enrichment can increase the impact of microplastics on meiofaunal assemblages in tropical beach systems
Researchers found that organic enrichment amplifies the negative impact of microplastics on meiofaunal assemblages in tropical beach sediments, with combined pollution causing greater diversity loss than either stressor alone.
BenthicFauna Enhance Biodegradation of Microplasticsin Riparian Sediments: Reactive Oxygen, Keystone Microbes, and Metabolites
Researchers found that benthic fauna (Branchiura sowerbyi) enhance microplastic biodegradation in riparian sediments through bioturbation, achieving 1.68 to 2.19 times greater weight loss for PLA, PS, and PP compared to fauna-free controls, by promoting hydroxyl radical generation, reshaping plastisphere microbial communities, and driving degradation through ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria.
Can Microplastic Pollution Change Important Aquatic Bacterial Communities?
Microplastics in coastal sediments can change the composition of important bacterial communities that cycle nutrients and maintain ecosystem health. Microplastic-associated bacteria differ significantly from natural sediment bacteria, with potential consequences for the chemical processes these communities perform.
Fauna – Microplastics interactions: Empirical insights from benthos community exposure to marine plastic waste
Researchers tested how microplastics interact with bottom-dwelling marine communities in a controlled experiment using environmental concentrations of polyethylene fragments. They found that the plastic particles increased mortality in a common bivalve species after 30 days of exposure, while tube-dwelling worms were less affected. Interestingly, the burrowing activity of these animals quickly buried surface microplastics into deeper sediment layers, effectively trapping them but also exposing deep-dwelling organisms.
Microplastics drive community dynamics of periphytic protozoan fauna in marine environments
Researchers exposed marine protozoan communities to varying concentrations of microplastics and tracked how the communities changed over time. They found that higher microplastic concentrations reduced species diversity and shifted community composition toward more pollution-tolerant species. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can reshape the structure of microscopic marine communities, with potential cascading effects up the food web.
Influence of microplastics on the structure and function of deep-sea communities during long-term enrichment processes
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect deep-sea microbial communities over 50 days of incubation. They observed that microorganisms caused visible degradation of the plastic surfaces, while the smallest particles and plastic films significantly inhibited bacterial growth and increased reactive oxygen species production. The study reveals that microplastic pollution can substantially alter deep-sea microbial community structure and function.
The impacts of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (mPETs) on ecosystem functionality in marine sediment
Researchers found that PET microplastics disrupted key ecosystem functions in marine sediments over a 31-day experiment, impairing nutrient cycling and the activity of bivalves and microphytobenthos. The results suggest that even moderate concentrations of microplastics can harm the ecological services provided by seafloor communities.
Benthic fauna contribute to microplastic sequestration in coastal sediments
Researchers investigated how burrowing seafloor organisms contribute to the burial of microplastics in coastal sediments. They found that benthic fauna actively transport microplastics from the sediment surface to deeper layers through their burrowing and feeding activities. The study suggests that biological processes play a significant role in sequestering microplastics within marine sediments, which has implications for understanding the long-term fate of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Weathered microplastics alter deep sea benthic biogeochemistry and organic matter cycling: insights from a microcosm experiment
Weathered (aged) microplastics deposited in deep-sea sediments were found to alter benthic biogeochemical cycles, affecting nitrogen and carbon processing by seafloor microorganisms. The findings show that plastic pollution can disrupt the chemical ecology of even the most remote deep-ocean environments.
Intertidal Concentrations of Microplastics and Their Influence on Ammonium Cycling as Related to the Shellfish Industry
Researchers determined the concentration and spatial distribution of microplastics in intertidal sediments at shellfish aquaculture sites and investigated their influence on ammonium cycling, finding that elevated microplastic concentrations altered nitrogen processing by benthic microbial communities. The results suggest microplastics at aquaculture densities may disrupt sediment nutrient dynamics with potential implications for shellfish productivity.