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Updated: Apr 10, 2026
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Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris
Published on: July 28, 2018
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The deep sea is a major sink for microplastic debris
Lucy C Woodall1, Anna Sanchez-Vidal2, Miquel Canals2
1Department of Life Sciences , The Natural History Museum , Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD , UK.
Royal Society Open Science
|June 12, 2015
Summary
Deep-sea sediments are a significant, previously unknown sink for microplastics, particularly microfibres. This finding helps account for the missing plastic pollution in marine environments.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Oceanography
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Marine debris, predominantly plastic, poses a global threat to ecosystems and industries.
- Despite increased plastic production, observed marine concentrations do not fully account for the missing plastic.
- Microplastics found in gyres and shallow sediments do not explain the entire plastic deficit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate deep-sea sediments as a potential sink for unaccounted-for microplastics.
- To quantify microplastic abundance in deep-sea sediments across different ocean basins.
Main Methods:
- Sampling of deep-sea sediments from the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean.
- Quantification of microplastic abundance, focusing on microfibres, per unit volume of sediment.
Main Results:
- Microplastic concentrations, primarily microfibres, were up to four orders of magnitude higher in deep-sea sediments compared to surface waters.
- Microplastics were detected in sediments across all investigated oceanic sites.
- Microfibres constituted a dominant fraction of the identified microplastics.
Conclusions:
- Deep-sea sediments represent a major, previously unrecognized repository for microplastics.
- The deep ocean floor likely accounts for a substantial portion of the world's 'missing' plastic pollution.
- Microfibres are a significant, underreported component of marine plastic pollution.
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