Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation

Ian Kane; R A Wogelius; James J Rothwell

doi:10.1126/science.aba5899

Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation

Ian Kane, R A Wogelius, James J Rothwell

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

While microplastics are known to pervade the global seafloor, the processes that control their dispersal and concentration in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Here we show that thermohaline-driven currents, which build extensive seafloor sediment accumulations, can control the distribution of microplastics and create hotspots of up to 1.9 million pieces m−2. This is the highest reported value for any seafloor setting, globally. Previous studies propose that microplastics are transported to the seafloor by vertical settling from surface accumulations; here we demonstrate that the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of microplastics is strongly controlled by near-bed thermohaline currents (bottom currents). These currents are known to supply oxygen and nutrients to deep sea benthos, suggesting that deep sea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1140-1145
Number of pages	6
Journal	Science
Volume	368
Issue number	6495
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba5899
Publication status	Published - 30 Apr 2020

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1126/science.aba5899

ICAL: Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
Garwood, R. (PI), Wogelius, R. (PI), Sansom, R. (CoI), Buckley, M. (CoI), Chamberlain, A. (CoI), Manning, P. (CoI), Egerton, V. (CoI), Sellers, W. (CoI), Nudds, J. (CoI), Bulot, L. G. (CoI), Brocklehurst, R. (PGR student), Brassey, C. A. (CoI), Keating, J. (CoI), La Porta, A. (CoI), Brocklehurst, R. (PGR student), Callender-Crowe, L. (PGR student), Wallace, E. (PGR student), Chester, J. (PGR student), Davenport, J. (PGR student), Tuley, K. (PGR student), Lomax, D. (Researcher), Reeves, J. (PGR student), Smart, C. (PGR student), Ferro, C. (PGR student), Karoullas, C. (PGR student), Heath, J. (PGR student), Dickson, A. (PGR student), Austin Sydes, L. (PGR student), McLean, C. (PGR student), Harvey, V. (PGR student) & Jones, K. (PI)
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{c3e1b1d051f04d88a251425d167e0854,

title = "Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation",

abstract = "While microplastics are known to pervade the global seafloor, the processes that control their dispersal and concentration in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Here we show that thermohaline-driven currents, which build extensive seafloor sediment accumulations, can control the distribution of microplastics and create hotspots of up to 1.9 million pieces m−2. This is the highest reported value for any seafloor setting, globally. Previous studies propose that microplastics are transported to the seafloor by vertical settling from surface accumulations; here we demonstrate that the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of microplastics is strongly controlled by near-bed thermohaline currents (bottom currents). These currents are known to supply oxygen and nutrients to deep sea benthos, suggesting that deep sea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots.",

author = "Ian Kane and Wogelius, {R A} and Rothwell, {James J}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank T. Bishop and J. Moore in the Department of Geography at the University of Manchester for help with a range of analyses. We thank the staff at the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility (BOSCORF) for access to sediment cores. We thank the GALSI PROJECT for access to survey data. The constructive comments of D. Piper and two anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged. Funding: M.A.C. was supported by the CLASS program (NERC grant NE/R015953/1). Author contributions: I.A.K. and M.A.C. conceived of and designed the study and subsampled the core samples. I.A.K. carried out the microplastic extraction and analysis. M.A.C. and I.A.K. analyzed seafloor and subsurface data and integrated microplastics concentrations with modeling outputs. E.M. and P.G. modeled the seafloor circulation patterns. F.P. integrated microplastic and sediment transport modeling work. R.W. analyzed FTIR spectra. All authors contributed to writing the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Data and materials availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available from Dryad (54). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2020",

month = apr,

day = "30",

doi = "10.1126/science.aba5899",

language = "English",

volume = "368",

pages = "1140--1145",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science (A A A S)",

number = "6495",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation

AU - Kane, Ian

AU - Wogelius, R A

AU - Rothwell, James J

N1 - Funding Information: We thank T. Bishop and J. Moore in the Department of Geography at the University of Manchester for help with a range of analyses. We thank the staff at the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility (BOSCORF) for access to sediment cores. We thank the GALSI PROJECT for access to survey data. The constructive comments of D. Piper and two anonymous reviewers are gratefully acknowledged. Funding: M.A.C. was supported by the CLASS program (NERC grant NE/R015953/1). Author contributions: I.A.K. and M.A.C. conceived of and designed the study and subsampled the core samples. I.A.K. carried out the microplastic extraction and analysis. M.A.C. and I.A.K. analyzed seafloor and subsurface data and integrated microplastics concentrations with modeling outputs. E.M. and P.G. modeled the seafloor circulation patterns. F.P. integrated microplastic and sediment transport modeling work. R.W. analyzed FTIR spectra. All authors contributed to writing the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Data and materials availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available from Dryad (54). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/4/30

Y1 - 2020/4/30

N2 - While microplastics are known to pervade the global seafloor, the processes that control their dispersal and concentration in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Here we show that thermohaline-driven currents, which build extensive seafloor sediment accumulations, can control the distribution of microplastics and create hotspots of up to 1.9 million pieces m−2. This is the highest reported value for any seafloor setting, globally. Previous studies propose that microplastics are transported to the seafloor by vertical settling from surface accumulations; here we demonstrate that the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of microplastics is strongly controlled by near-bed thermohaline currents (bottom currents). These currents are known to supply oxygen and nutrients to deep sea benthos, suggesting that deep sea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots.

AB - While microplastics are known to pervade the global seafloor, the processes that control their dispersal and concentration in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Here we show that thermohaline-driven currents, which build extensive seafloor sediment accumulations, can control the distribution of microplastics and create hotspots of up to 1.9 million pieces m−2. This is the highest reported value for any seafloor setting, globally. Previous studies propose that microplastics are transported to the seafloor by vertical settling from surface accumulations; here we demonstrate that the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of microplastics is strongly controlled by near-bed thermohaline currents (bottom currents). These currents are known to supply oxygen and nutrients to deep sea benthos, suggesting that deep sea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots.

U2 - 10.1126/science.aba5899

DO - 10.1126/science.aba5899

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 368

SP - 1140

EP - 1145

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6495

ER -

Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

ICAL: Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life

Cite this