Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Life

Dear Colleagues,

Plastic originates from a diverse range of sources and is a ubiquitous and semi-permanent pollutant that haunts the world’s oceans. Rather than being degraded, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces and can persist in marine ecosystems for hundreds to thousands of years. The complexity and scale of this issue often means that the risks of plastic pollution differs between different geographic locations and various ocean depths. An assessment of the threats of marine plastic pollution to aquatic life and the solutions to these risks require a multidisciplinary approach, including an assessment of the environmental impacts of different plastics and their chemical additives, monitoring and modelling of the accumulation and transport of plastics and an assessment of the sources of the leakage of plastic into marine environments. As such, we aim to publish high-quality papers on a wide scope of topics relating to ocean plastic pollution and its impact on marine life, including the following:

• Traditional and innovative approaches for monitoring marine plastic pollution, including the use of AI.
• Modelling the source, transport and fate of marine plastic pollution across different spatial scales.
• Systems thinking, including system mapping and causal loops.
• Ecotoxicology of microplastics and nanoplastics.
• Ecosystem-level impact assessments/studies.
• Biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Risk assessments, meta-analyses, knowledge gap analyses and literature reviews.
• Multi-stressor studies.

Dr. Samantha Garrard
Guest Editor

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• marine plastic pollution
• microplastics
• nanoplastics
• plastic debris
• ADLFG
• modelling sources
• transport and fate of plastics
• AI and machine learning
• ecotoxicology
• ecosystem functioning
• systems thinking

Title: Microplastics: A threat to marine ecosystems and a potential desalinization drinking water security concern
Authors: Ángeles Arias Rodríguez
Affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Universidad de La Laguna. Campus de Ofra S/N., 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Abstract: Microplastics, a diverse group of polymeric materials ranging from 1 µm to 5 mm, have emerged as a significant environmental concern. Estimates suggest that 1.5-5% of global plastic production ends up as marine debris, posing a substantial threat to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. While the direct impacts of microplastics on these ecosystems are well-documented, their indirect effects on the food chain and, consequently, human health, are gaining increasing attention. In this context, water quality and safety assume paramount importance, particularly in regions where water is a precious natural resource. This study investigates the presence of microplastics in seawater, desalinated water, and public water supply samples. Seawater samples were collected from the desalination plant intake area, desalinated water samples were obtained at the end of the desalination process, and public water supply samples were taken from a residential dwelling. All samples were filtered through pre-incinerated stainless steel meshes and subsequently examined using a binocular microscope. Microplastics were identified and categorized using micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (µ-FTIR) analysis. Additionally, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to identify and categorize the polymer types present in the plastic fraction isolated from the desalination plant.

Title: Minimal impacts of tyre particle exposure on estuarine meiofaunal community structure, primary production and nutrient cycling
Authors: Charlotte Woodhouse; Dannielle Senga Green; Andy Foggo; Paul Somerfield; Richard Thompson; Samantha Garrard
Affiliation: Plymouth Marine Laboraotry
Abstract: Tyre wear particles are a significant source of primary microplastics in the natural environment with the potential to accumulate in aquatic sediments, yet our understanding of the ecological impact of these particles is limited. Using mesocosms of estuarine sediment containing macrofauna (Scrobicularia plana and Hediste diversicolor), meiofauna and microphytobenthos, we investigated the impact of increasing sedimentary concentrations of tyre particles (0.2, 1 and 5% kg sediment(dw)-1) upon community structure, primary production, secondary production and nutrient cycling. Under the conditions and timescale investigated, exposure to sedimentary tyre particles did not lead to any significant differences in nutrient cycling or primary productivity, with limited impact on meiofaunal secondary productivity. An increase in Tanaidacea was observed in 1% and 5% tyre particle treatments, putatively due to reduced macrofaunal predation. Previous studies have highlighted the ecotoxicity of tyre wear particles and the limited impacts evidenced in our study may be due to our experimental particles being too large for meiofauna to ingest, whilst leachate impacts were likely diluted by the partial recirculation system. Leachate dilution will occur naturally in marine systems and should be a consideration in the design of future studies.

Title: Impacts of marine plastic pollution on seagrass meadows and the ecosystem services they provide: a review with a focus on Southeast Asia
Authors: Janine Douglas; Holly J. Niner; Samantha Garrard
Affiliation: University of Plymouth
Abstract: Seagrass meadows provide ecosystem services (ES) critical to humanity. Southeast Asia is a hotspot of seagrass diversity, and the region's seagrass-derived ES have been valued at over $100 billion annually; however, the health and extent of seagrass meadows are in decline. Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is an escalating problem and a concern for vulnerable marine habitats such as seagrass meadows. To understand the impacts MPP has on seagrass ecosystems and their provision of ES, we conducted a series of semi-systematic literature reviews and synthesised the results with a risk assessment. Results indicated that MPP negatively impacts seagrass, through factors such as spatial competition, chemical leaching, and reduced rates of photosynthesis and rhizome growth. This can lead to a reduction of seagrass biomass, triggering a degradation of all seagrass-derived ES. A risk assessment of microplastic impacts results indicated that seagrass-derived ES are at high risk of decline from current microplastic concentrations, which in turn indicates a potential threat to the wellbeing of those dependent on them.