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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Monitoring microplastics and their associated chemicals in an Irish deep water Special Area of Conservation
ClearBaseline Assessment of Marine Litter and Microplastic Ingestion by Cold-Water Coral Reef Benthos at the East Mingulay Marine Protected Area (Sea of the Hebrides, Western Scotland)
Marine litter and microplastics were found in deep-water cold coral reef habitats off Scotland, including inside coral animals and sponges at depths of 140 meters. This shows that microplastic pollution has reached sensitive, remote deep-sea ecosystems that are difficult to monitor and protect.
High Abundances of Microplastic Pollution in Deep-Sea Sediments: Evidence from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
Microplastic pollution was investigated in deep-sea sediments from Antarctic and Southern Ocean regions, finding high abundances that varied among sites. The study confirmed that microplastics are accumulating in the remote Antarctic deep-sea environment, with evidence going back to scientific literature from the 1980s that has accelerated in recent years.
Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean
Surface sediments from 26 sites in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed for microplastics, finding concentrations ranging widely and influenced by water depth, distance from land, and ocean current patterns. The study extends deep-sea microplastic monitoring to the Indian Ocean and identifies oceanographic transport as a key control on plastic distribution.
A novel method enabling the accurate quantification of microplastics in the water column of deep ocean
A new sampling method was developed to accurately measure microplastics in the deep ocean water column, addressing gaps left by traditional net trawls that miss very small particles. Reliable deep-sea sampling is critical since the deep ocean is thought to be a major sink for global microplastic pollution.
Does the microplastics ingestion patterns and polymer composition vary across the oceanic zones? A case study from the Indian coast
Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in 27 species of deep-sea fish from the Central Indian Ocean and found contamination in 19 of them, with PET being the most common polymer. The study suggests that feeding behavior, rather than habitat depth or trophic level, is the primary factor influencing how much microplastic deep-sea fish ingest, and proposes these fish could serve as indicators for monitoring deep-sea plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution in deep seafloor of the South China Sea
Researchers documented the abundance, distribution, and transport of plastics in the South China Sea using over 100 manned submersible dives combined with video analysis, finding that large plastics concentrate in canyon geomorphological units while microplastics predominate in coastal sediments via distinct transport mechanisms.
Interactions of Microplastics and Methane Seepage in the Deep-Sea Environment
Researchers examined the accumulation of microplastics in cold seep sediments characterized by methane fluid seepage and chemosynthetic ecosystems in the deep sea, detecting 16 types of microplastics with high abundances at sediment surfaces. The findings suggest that cold seep environments act as effective sinks for small-scale microplastics under 100 micrometers and represent an important but overlooked reservoir in the marine carbon cycle.
Consistent microplastic ingestion by deep-sea invertebrates over the last four decades (1976–2015), a study from the North East Atlantic
Researchers found consistent microplastic ingestion by deep-sea invertebrates in the North East Atlantic over a 40-year period from 1976 to 2015, demonstrating that microplastic contamination of remote deep-sea habitats is a long-standing and persistent problem.
Occurrence of microplastics in the Haima cold seep area of the South China Sea
Researchers characterized microplastic distribution in seawater, sediments, and shellfish from the Haima cold seep area in the South China Sea, providing baseline data on deep-sea plastic contamination in a unique chemosynthetic ecosystem.
The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column
Remotely operated vehicles and custom samplers were used to collect microplastics from depths of 5–1000 m in Monterey Bay, finding that microplastic concentrations in mesopelagic waters (200–600 m depth) were comparable to or higher than surface concentrations. The study demonstrates that the deep ocean is not merely a sink but an active reservoir of microplastics vertically transported by biological organisms.
Microplastic occurrence in deep-sea fish species Alepocephalus bairdii and Coryphaenoides rupestris from the Porcupine Bank (North Atlantic)
Microplastics were found in two deep-sea fish species collected from the Porcupine Bank in the North Atlantic, with occurrence in Alepocephalus bairdii and Coryphaenoides rupestris confirming that plastic ingestion extends to deep-water environments far from human activity. The study highlights the need for broader assessment of microplastic exposure in commercially unexploited deep-sea fauna.
Deep Sea Microplastic Pollution Extends Out to Sediments in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean Margins
Researchers surveyed deep-sea sediments across four areas of the Northeast Atlantic and detected microplastics at 75% of stations sampled, finding no hotspots and no clear correlation with depth or distance from land, demonstrating the widespread extent of deep-sea microplastic contamination.
Microplastic Contamination of a Benthic Ecosystem in a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent
Researchers documented, for the first time, microplastic contamination at a deep-sea hydrothermal vent on the Central Indian Ridge, finding MPs in seawater (2.08 MPs/L), surface sediments (0.57 MP/g), and all six major benthic species sampled, with polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene fragments under 100 micrometers dominating.
Microplastic contamination in deep-sea sediments and polymetallic nodules: Insights from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in deep-sea sediments and polymetallic nodules from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean, an area targeted for deep-sea mining. Microplastics were detected in over half of sediment samples and a third of nodule samples, with fibers being the most common form and polyacrylonitrile and PET the dominant polymers, highlighting that even the most remote deep-sea environments are not free from plastic pollution.
Organic pollutants in deep sea: Occurrence, fate, and ecological implications
This review synthesized data on organic pollutants in the deep sea, finding that persistent contaminants including microplastics and their sorbed chemicals reach depths exceeding 10,000 meters through particle sinking, water mass transport, and biological vectors, threatening poorly understood but ecologically vital deep-sea ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution identified in deep-sea water and ingested by benthic invertebrates in the Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean
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.
Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic Microplastic Ingestion by Mesopelagic Fishes From Tristan da Cunha and St Helena, South Atlantic
Scientists examined the digestive tracts of deep-sea mesopelagic fish from the remote South Atlantic and found microplastics in their intestines. The presence of plastic in fish at depths down to 1,000 meters in one of the most isolated ocean regions confirms that microplastic contamination has reached even the deep ocean.
The Deposition and Accumulation of Microplastics in Marine Sediments and Bottom Water from the Irish Continental Shelf
This study provided the first record of microplastic contamination in sediments on the Irish continental shelf, recovering plastic particles across nearly all sampled stations. The finding confirms that even relatively remote offshore sediments accumulate microplastic pollution, likely as a final sink for particles from the water column.
Microplastic Contamination of a Benthic Ecosystem in a Hydrothermal Vent
Researchers documented microplastic contamination in a deep-sea hydrothermal vent at the Central Indian Ridge for the first time. The study found microplastics in seawater, sediments, and all six major benthic species examined, with polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene fragments being the most common types, demonstrating that plastic pollution has reached even extreme deep-sea environments.
Deep-Sea Debris in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean
Deep-water ROV expeditions across the central and western Pacific Ocean found marine debris at 17.5% of dive sites from 150 to 6,000 meters depth, including fishing gear and plastics even in the most remote marine protected areas. Debris density correlated with proximity to human settlements, indicating that no part of the deep ocean is free from the influence of surface plastic pollution.
Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments
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.
Microplastics and POPs on the Southwestern Atlantic deep-sea floor: a study of megafauna and sediments
This study provided the first report of microplastics and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Southwestern Atlantic deep-sea floor, examining both sediments and benthic megafauna. Microplastics and POPs were detected in deep-sea organisms and sediments, demonstrating that even remote deep-ocean environments in the Southern Hemisphere are contaminated by surface-derived plastic pollution.
>b/b<: influence of feeding mode on microplastic intake by benthic organisms and detection of persistent organic pollutants in biological and sediment samples
This study investigated micropollutant accumulation including microplastics in deep-sea organisms from the Southern Atlantic, examining how feeding mode influences contaminant intake. Results showed that filter feeders and deposit feeders accumulated different levels of microplastics and chemical pollutants, reflecting the deep sea's vulnerability to surface pollution.
Microplastic pollution in deep-sea sediments and organisms of the Western Pacific Ocean
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.