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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics threaten seagrass carbon sinks through microbial changes
ClearDistinct impacts of microplastics on the carbon sequestration capacity of coastal blue carbon ecosystems: A case of seagrass beds
Researchers examined how microplastic pollution affects the ability of seagrass beds to capture and store carbon, a process important for combating climate change. Evidence indicates that microplastics can alter sediment properties, disrupt microbial communities, and inhibit seagrass growth, all of which reduce carbon storage capacity. The study highlights that microplastic contamination may be undermining one of nature's key tools for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Microplastics reduce eelgrass tolerance to heat stress with implications for restoration and blue carbon
Researchers found that microplastic pollution in sediments significantly reduced eelgrass root growth and energy reserves, and when combined with simulated marine heatwaves, the effects were even more severe. The study suggests that microplastics may undermine seagrass restoration efforts and blue carbon storage by depleting the underground energy reserves that these ecosystems depend on for recovery and growth.
Colonization time of plastisphere drives the dynamics of organic carbon stability and microbial communities in seagrass bed sediments
Researchers conducted a 56-day experiment to study how microplastic biofilm formation affects organic carbon stability and microbial communities in seagrass bed sediments. They found that both polystyrene and polylactic acid microplastics altered microbial community structure and influenced carbon pool stability in the sediments over time. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may pose risks to carbon cycling and ecological functioning in seagrass ecosystems.
Plastisphere provides a unique ecological niche for microorganisms in Zostera marina seagrass meadows
Researchers incubated three types of microplastics in a seagrass meadow for one month and found that microbial communities on plastic surfaces differed significantly from those on natural substrates. Microplastic invasion shifted carbon- and nitrogen-fixing microbes and related genes, potentially affecting the carbon sequestration capacity of seagrass ecosystems. The study also raises concerns about antibiotic resistance genes accumulating on microplastic surfaces in these environments.
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and its epiphytic bacteria facilitate the sinking of microplastics in the seawater
Researchers found that eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows and their epiphytic bacteria facilitate the sinking and accumulation of microplastics in seabed sediments, identifying seagrass ecosystems as significant microplastic sinks in coastal marine environments.
Seagrass under siege: Investigating microplastic effects on seagrass ecosystems
Researchers reviewed the effects of microplastics on seagrass meadows, which are ecologically critical habitats that also trap and accumulate particulate matter. Evidence suggests microplastics can impair seagrass growth, root function, and associated fauna in these vulnerable ecosystems.
Subtle biogeochemical consequences of biodegradable and conventional microplastics in estuarine blue carbon systems
Researchers conducted field experiments exposing mangrove ecosystems to conventional and biodegradable microplastics for up to 100 days. While overall microbial community composition remained stable, the biodegradable microplastics temporarily disrupted key nutrient cycling processes for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The findings suggest that even in resilient blue carbon ecosystems, biodegradable plastics can cause subtle but measurable changes to biogeochemical functions.
Seagrass under siege: Investigating microplastic effects on seagrass ecosystems
Researchers reviewed the current evidence for microplastic effects on seagrass meadows, covering physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms of harm. The review found that microplastics impair seagrass photosynthesis, root function, and associated fauna, threatening these ecologically critical coastal habitats.
New Insights into the Microplastic Enrichment in the Blue Carbon Ecosystem: Evidence from Seagrass Meadows and Mangrove Forests in Coastal South China Sea
Researchers studied how seagrass meadows and mangrove forests in the South China Sea trap microplastics, finding enrichment of 1.3 to 17.6 times compared to unvegetated sites, with a strong positive correlation between microplastic abundance and organic carbon content (Pearson R = 0.86).
Microplastic, an Emerging Threat to the Global Seagrass Ecosystems: A Review
This review examined microplastic pollution as an emerging threat to global seagrass ecosystems, summarizing contamination levels in seagrass meadows worldwide and effects on seagrass physiology, associated fauna, and carbon sequestration capacity. Microplastic ingestion and physical smothering were identified as the most significant direct impacts on seagrass organisms.
Data from: Microplastics reduce eelgrass tolerance to heat stress with implications for restoration and blue carbon
A controlled mesocosm experiment showed that polyethylene/polypropylene microplastics in sediment reduced eelgrass root length by 65% and depleted energy reserves, with combined exposure to microplastics and a marine heatwave producing the most severe damage to below-ground biomass.
A review of microplastic impacts on seagrasses, epiphytes, and associated sediment communities
This review synthesizes research on microplastic accumulation in seagrass ecosystems, examining effects on seagrass plants, epiphytic communities, and associated sediment biota. The authors identify seagrass meadows as both sinks for microplastics and potentially sensitive ecosystems where plastic contamination may disrupt complex ecological relationships.
Microplastics affect sedimentary microbial communities and nitrogen cycling
A microcosm experiment showed that microplastics added to salt marsh sediment altered microbial community composition and disrupted nitrogen cycling, including reduced denitrification rates, suggesting that microplastic contamination could impair important biogeochemical functions.
Seagrass beds acting as a trap of microplastics - Emerging hotspot in the coastal region?
Seagrass beds in coastal waters were found to trap and accumulate microplastics at higher concentrations than surrounding unvegetated sediments, acting as effective sinks for plastic particles due to their dense canopy structure. This positions seagrass meadows as emerging hotspots of microplastic contamination in coastal ecosystems.
Trapping of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in seagrass beds: Ubiquity across a vertical and horizontal sampling gradient
Researchers examined how seagrass beds trap microplastics and other anthropogenic particles by sampling along a vegetation cover gradient from dense beds to less vegetated patches. The study found that seagrass vegetation enhances the accumulation of plastic debris in both sediment and among plant structures. Evidence indicates that seagrass ecosystems act as significant sinks for microplastic pollution, with implications for the organisms that depend on these habitats.
Microplastics in seagrass ecosystems: A review of fate and impacts
This review summarizes research on microplastic contamination in seagrass ecosystems, which are important coastal habitats that support biodiversity and capture carbon. Microplastics can accumulate in seagrass sediments and be ingested by the fish and invertebrates living there, entering coastal food webs. Since seagrass meadows also support commercial fisheries, microplastic contamination in these ecosystems could affect the safety of seafood that reaches human plates.
Effect of microplastics on CO2 emission from Yellow River Delta wetland
Researchers found that microplastic contamination in Yellow River Delta wetland soils altered CO2 emissions, with different polymer types and concentrations producing varying effects on soil carbon dynamics — raising concern that plastic pollution could undermine the carbon sequestration function of coastal wetlands.
Microplastics alter the functioning of marine microbial ecosystems
Researchers used experimental mesocosms to investigate how microplastics affect the structure and functioning of marine microbial ecosystems. They found that microplastics indirectly altered marine productivity by shifting the composition of bacterial and phytoplankton communities. The study provides evidence that microplastic pollution can disrupt fundamental ecological processes in ocean ecosystems beyond effects on individual organisms.
Factors influencing microplastic abundances in the sediments of a seagrass-dominated tropical atoll
Researchers investigated factors controlling microplastic abundance in sediments of a seagrass-dominated tropical atoll. They found that seagrass density, water flow patterns, and proximity to human settlements all influenced microplastic accumulation, with denser seagrass meadows trapping more particles in their sediments. The study raises concerns that microplastic buildup in seagrass ecosystems could threaten the ecological services these habitats provide, including carbon storage and biodiversity support.
Biodegradable plastics can alter carbon and nitrogen cycles to a greater extent than conventional plastics in marine sediment
Researchers showed in controlled sediment microcosms that biodegradable plastics stimulate decomposition of buried marine organic carbon more than conventional plastics, producing twice the CO2 release to the water column and suppressing nitrogen flux — effects that could undermine coastal ecosystems' capacity to sequester carbon.
The power of Posidonia oceanica meadows to retain microplastics and the consequences on associated macrofaunal benthic communities
Researchers investigated how Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows accumulate microplastics in coastal sediments and the consequences for associated marine communities. The study found differences in microplastic abundance and composition at various depths and between vegetated and unvegetated sites, suggesting that seagrass beds may act as sinks for microplastic pollution with potential impacts on benthic organisms.
Plastic Pollution as a Driver of Seagrass Ecosystem Degradation: a Systematic Review of Impacts and Mitigation Approaches
This systematic review examines how plastic pollution threatens seagrass ecosystems, which are vital for carbon storage, coastal protection, and marine biodiversity. Microplastics and larger debris smother seagrass beds, block light, and introduce harmful chemicals into sediments. Losing these habitats has cascading effects on fish populations and the communities that depend on healthy coastal waters.
Microplastics in coastal blue carbon ecosystems: A global Meta-analysis of its distribution, driving mechanisms, and potential risks
Microplastic abundance in blue carbon ecosystems showed the highest concentrations in Asia, especially South and Southeast Asia, with distribution influenced by vegetation habitat, climate, and river runoff. Large fish showed significant microplastic accumulation, and the effect of microplastics on sediment organic carbon varied by ecosystem type, challenging the assumption that microplastics increase carbon sequestration.
Microplastics strengthen nitrogen retention by intensifying nitrogen limitation in mangrove ecosystem sediments
In a lab experiment simulating mangrove wetland sediments, microplastics altered nutrient cycling by intensifying nitrogen limitation, which changed how microbes processed nitrogen. While focused on environmental impacts, this matters because mangrove ecosystems are important coastal filters, and disrupting their nutrient cycles could affect downstream water quality and the health of seafood that humans consume.