The effects of microplastic contamination of marine snow on the deep sea food chain and carbon sequestration by phytoplankton
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.3005Keywords:
microplastics, marine snow, deep sea, phytoplanktonAbstract
Marine snow, a continuous shower of organic material in the water column, is one of the main food sources in the deep sea, and has in recent years become contaminated with microplastics due to increased levels of pollution. Microplastics enter marine food chains by mixing with phytoplankton near the surface. As microplastics move through the food chain, typically starting from zooplankton feeding on either phytoplankton or marine snow, they - biomagnify in higher trophic levels. Microplastics are also accidentally consumed by other organisms such as amphipods, vampire squid, copepods, and bivalve larvae. All these animals suffer damage to their appetites, reproduction rates, and organs, lowering their populations and harming a vital food source for many other animals. The other effects of microplastics on phytoplankton harm the oceans further by causing carbon-laden phytoplankton blooms to float, decreasing carbon sequestration. Without intervention, these problems will continue to worsen, killing off more and more zooplankton and lowering the ocean’s capacity for carbon. This paper is a review of the varying effects of microplastics in marine snow on the deep sea ecosystem.
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