Recovery from microplastic-induced marine deoxygenation may take centuries

• Published in: Nature Geoscience
• Main Authors: Kvale, Karin F., Oschlies, Andreas
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Research 2023
• Subjects: Pacific; Southern Ocean; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/57562/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/57562/1/s41561-022-01096-w.pdf; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-022-01096-w; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01096-w

Climate change and plastics pollution are dual threats to marine environments. Here we use biogeochemical and microplastic modelling to show that even if there is complete removal of microplastics and cessation of deposition in the oceans in 2022, regional recovery from microplastic-induced remineralization and water column deoxygenation could take hundreds of years for coastal upwelling zones, the North Pacific and Southern Ocean. Surface stratification and reduced sea ice cover further impede regional recovery, highlighting the importance of aggressive mitigation of plastic pollution.