Can plastics affect near surface layer ocean processes and climate?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Oceanography
• Climate Science

Background:

• Ocean plastic pollution is a significant global concern, comparable in public fear to climate change.
• Studies on the ecological effects and toxicity of plastics are rapidly increasing.
• Exponential increases in plastic entering oceans, coupled with low assimilative capacity, threaten marine environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the potential impact of plastics on ocean physical processes.
• To propose that plastics can alter solar radiation in the water column.
• To suggest that these alterations may induce climate feedback cycles.

Main Methods:

• Review of current trends in plastic pollution.
• Analysis of the physical effects of plastics on solar radiation.
• Conceptualization of potential climate feedback mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The sea surface microlayer could accumulate plastics comparable to phytoplankton distribution.
• Biofouling can aggregate microplastics into dense near-surface fields.
• Plastics can alter water column optical and physico-chemical properties by scattering/attenuating solar radiation.

Conclusions:

• Changes in solar radiation due to plastics may affect ocean surface and near-surface physical processes.
• This could potentially induce climate feedback cycles, impacting global climate.
• Proactive strategies are essential to manage plastic pollution and its cascading effects on ocean systems.