Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport: Multiple aggregation cycles account for the settling of buoyant microplastics to deep‐sea sediments

Wu, Nan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2380-3741; Grieve, Stuart W. D.; Manning, Andrew J.; Spencer, Kate L.. 2025 Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport: Multiple aggregation cycles account for the settling of buoyant microplastics to deep‐sea sediments. Limnology and Oceanography. 12, pp. 10.1002/lno.12814

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Text (Open Access) © 2025 The Author(s). Limnology and Oceanography published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Limnology Oceanography - 2025 - Wu - Marine snow as vectors for microplastic transport Multiple aggregation cycles.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (759kB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

Many studies have reported the paradoxical observation of high concentrations of low‐density microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm) in deep‐sea sediments despite their buoyancy. The incorporation of buoyant microplastics into marine snow has been observed to enhance microplastic settling. Previous studies on the vertical movement of buoyant microplastics have been unable to theoretically account for these ocean observations and no study has comprehensively elucidated microplastic transport pathways in the ocean from the surface to seafloor. Here, we establish a one‐dimensional theoretical model, that embraces key elements of the flocculation process, to explain how marine snow acts as a vector to transport buoyant microplastics to deep water and the ocean bottom. Microplastics reach the ocean floor through multiple cycles of aggregation, settling, and disaggregation between marine snow and microplastics. Each settling cycle results in a net settling of 200–400 m. We demonstrate that microplastics with different sizes show distinct vertical settling behaviors and only microplastics less than 100 μ m in diameter can reach the ocean bottom. This theoretical model refines our ability to predict and understand the global and long‐term fate, transport, and inventory of microplastics in the ocean interior, the influence of microplastics on the biological carbon pump and the efficacy of plastic management policies.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1002/lno.12814
ISSN:	0024-3590
Date made live:	07 Feb 2025 11:24 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538875

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