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Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Life
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Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Life

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Pollution".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 April 2025) | Viewed by 7994

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Samantha Garrard

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, UK
Interests: marine plastic pollution; microplastics; ALDFG; climate change; ecosystem services; biodiversity; ecotoxicology

Special Issue Information

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

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

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

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4204 KB  
Article
Life on Plastics: Deep-Sea Foraminiferal Colonization Patterns and Reproductive Morphology
by Ashley M. Burkett
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(8), 1597; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13081597 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Plastic debris has become a persistent feature of deep-sea ecosystems, yet its role as a habitat for calcifying organisms remains poorly understood. Foraminifera colonization has been observed in significant numbers on plastic surfaces, suggesting that these materials serve as novel and significant deep-sea [...] Read more.
Plastic debris has become a persistent feature of deep-sea ecosystems, yet its role as a habitat for calcifying organisms remains poorly understood. Foraminifera colonization has been observed in significant numbers on plastic surfaces, suggesting that these materials serve as novel and significant deep-sea colonization sites for these abundant calcifying organisms. This study uses deep-sea experimental plastic substrates to examine the colonization and reproductive morphology of the benthic foraminifera Lobatula wuellerstorfi across three locations: Station M (4000 m), Oregon OOI (575 m), and Southern Hydrate Ridge (774 m). A total of 482 individuals were analyzed for morphometric traits, including proloculus diameter, to investigate reproductive morphotypes. The Oregon samples displayed a clear bimodal proloculus size distribution, consistent with alternating reproductive strategies, while Station M populations exhibited a broader, less defined bimodal distribution skewed toward megalospheric forms. A weak but significant increase in proloculus diameter over deployment duration was observed at Station M, suggesting a possible influence of experiment duration and/or substrate maturity and environmental conditions. These findings demonstrate that plastics can serve as persistent colonization sites for deep-sea foraminifera, offering a unique experimental platform to investigate benthic population dynamics, ecological plasticity, and potential geochemical implications, as well as the broader impacts of foraminifera on deep-sea biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Life)
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20 pages, 2098 KB  
Article
Impacts of Marine Plastic Pollution on Seagrass Meadows and Ecosystem Services in Southeast Asia
by Janine Douglas, Holly Niner and Samantha Garrard
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(12), 2314; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12122314 - 17 Dec 2024
Viewed by 2944
Abstract
Seagrass meadows provide ecosystem services (ES) that are critical for humanity. Southeast Asia (SEA) 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 [...] Read more.
Seagrass meadows provide ecosystem services (ES) that are critical for humanity. Southeast Asia (SEA) 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 that MPP has on seagrass ecosystems and their provision of ES, we conducted a mixed methodology study that involved a systematic search of the literature and the synthesis of the results with a risk assessment. The 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 in seagrass biomass, triggering the degradation of all seagrass-derived ES. A risk assessment of the microplastic impact results indicated that seagrass-derived ES are at high risk of decline from the current microplastic concentrations, which in turn indicates a potential threat to the well-being of those dependent on them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Life)
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17 pages, 6378 KB  
Article
Bioprospecting of Mangrove Filamentous Fungi for the Biodegradation of Polyethylene Microplastics
by Arthur Aguiar, Letícia Gama, Milene Fornari, Almir Neto, Rodrigo de Souza, Rafael Perna, Laura Castro, Stella Kovacs, Marta Filipa Simões, Nelson Ferreira, Yoannis Domínguez, Leandro de Castro and Cristiane Ottoni
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(9), 1629; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12091629 - 12 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3178
Abstract
The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has been a bottleneck for scientific society. Several approaches have been described as possibilities for reducing MPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; however, most of them are not environmentally friendly. Filamentous fungi (Ff) cells are [...] Read more.
The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has been a bottleneck for scientific society. Several approaches have been described as possibilities for reducing MPs in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; however, most of them are not environmentally friendly. Filamentous fungi (Ff) cells are currently considered a promising solution as a treatment for MPs. Therefore, the present study reports the potential ability of Ff isolated from mangrove sediments to biodegrade low-density polyethylene MPs (LDPEMPs). Six Ff strains were grown in batch cultures for 28 days, and one of them, Aspergillus sp. (AQ3A), showed the most prominent profile to biodegrade polymeric compounds. After morphological and molecular analysis, all strains were identified as belonging to the genera Aspergillus (MQ1C, AQ2A and AQ3A), Penicillium (MQ1A), and Trichoderma (MQ1B and MQ2A). The strain Aspergillus sp. (AQ3A) showed the most promising results with a LDPEMPs reduction rate of 47% and biomass formation of 0.0890 g·mL−1. Complementary studies with Aspergillus sp. (AQ3A) using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) highlighted changes in the molecular structure of LDPEMPs. These results indicate that Ff can contribute to the biodegradation of LDPEMPs. However, other parameters, mainly associated with the enzymes that are involved in this biodegradation process, need to be explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Aquatic Life)
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