Plankton's Pollution Problem: Impact And Implication

Plankton are the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, and their productivity is controlled by a number of environmental factors, many of which are influenced by human activities. For example, increasing pollution from crude oil spills, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and industrial and household wastewaters all affect phytoplankton.

Plankton are also under threat from plastic pollution. As the foundation for the ocean ecosystem, plankton work tirelessly to fuel marine food webs and consume large amounts of carbon dioxide on scales equivalent to forests. However, they are also ingesting microplastics, which are a new class of environmental pollutants that accumulate in the environment at an uncontrollable rate. This threatens aquatic organisms, as plankton are the basis of food webs and play a significant role in the material circulation and energy flow of aquatic ecosystems.

Plankton can be divided into two main types: phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton are photosynthetic and zooplankton are animal

Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton are photosynthetic organisms, including algae, blue-green algae or cyanobacteria, and organisms such as dinoflagellates. They are the primary food source for zooplankton. Phytoplankton are plants, and they obtain their energy through the conversion of sunlight via photosynthesis. They are known to liberate large amounts of oxygen through photosynthesis and are deemed good indicators of ocean health.

Phytoplankton are also referred to as microalgae and can be found in both freshwater habitats and marine habitats. They are the primary producers in aquatic food chains. They can either produce food through chemosynthesis or photosynthesis.

Zooplankton

Zooplankton are heterotrophic animals that depend on phytoplankton and other autotrophs for their energy and carbon source. They are the consumers in aquatic food chains. Zooplankton include animals of various sizes ranging from small protozoans to large metazoans. They are found in both marine and freshwater habitats.

The Impact of Pollution on Plankton

Pollution is having a significant impact on plankton. Climate change, nutrient inputs, and plastic pollution are all contributing to the decline of plankton populations.

Climate change is causing ocean temperatures to rise, which is affecting the distribution of plankton species. Some plankton prefer colder water and are relocating to patches of cooler water, while warm-water plankton are also seeing an impact on their numbers.

Nutrient inputs, such as excess nitrogen and phosphorous from agricultural operations, are also affecting plankton diversity and availability. Some phytoplankton benefit from the extra nutrients, leading to large sections of coastal areas being engulfed in algal overgrowths, some of which are toxic.

Plastic pollution is another major threat to plankton. Microplankton resemble the food of zooplankton, and as a result, zooplankton are ingesting plastic, which introduces toxic chemicals into their system.

Phytoplankton are the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems and are responsible for about half of the biomass production on Earth

Phytoplankton are microscopic marine algae, or microalgae, that are the base of several aquatic food webs. They are the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, responsible for about half of the biomass production on Earth. They are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain chlorophyll and require sunlight to live and grow. Phytoplankton also require inorganic nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates, and sulfur, which they convert into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

The two main classes of phytoplankton are dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellates use a whip-like tail, or flagella, to move through the water and their bodies are covered with complex shells. Diatoms also have shells, but they are made of a different substance and their structure is rigid and made of interlocking parts. Diatoms rely on ocean currents to travel through the water.

Phytoplankton are critical to other ocean biogeochemical cycles, as well. They take up, transform, and recycle elements needed by other organisms, and help cycle elements between species in the ocean.

Phytoplankton are affected by pollution, including plastic pollution, and climate change. They are sensitive to changes in water temperature, and warming oceans can cause phytoplankton to relocate to patches of cooler water. Phytoplankton are also impacted by excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which enter the ocean from agricultural operations on land. This can result in large sections of coastal areas engulfed in algal overgrowths, some of them being toxic.

Phytoplankton are also impacted by microplastics, which resemble the food of zooplankton and thus become enticing to a hungry little crustacean. Plastics introduce a variety of toxic chemicals into their host, including chemicals stemming directly from the plastic composition itself (like BPA) or a toxin that attached to the plastic while it spent time floating in a marine environment (like DDT).

Phytoplankton are affected by a number of environmental factors, including light availability, temperature, ocean acidification, and pollution

Phytoplankton are the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, and their productivity is controlled by a number of environmental factors. These factors include light availability, temperature, ocean acidification, and pollution.

Light Availability

Light is a fundamental driver of ecosystem dynamics, affecting the rate of photosynthesis and primary production. Phytoplankton require light for photosynthesis, but excessive visible and UV radiation can impair productivity.

Temperature

Temperature is another important factor affecting phytoplankton growth. Phytoplankton productivity usually increases with temperature up to a certain optimum, beyond which there is a decrease or cessation of active carbon sequestering or death of the organisms.

Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification refers to the decrease in the pH of the ocean due to increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. This can reduce calcification in phytoplankton, macroalgae, and many zoological taxa.

Pollution

Increasing pollution from crude oil spills, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and industrial and household wastewaters can also affect phytoplankton. Solar UV radiation can further augment the stress caused by these pollutants.

Phytoplankton are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution, which blocks sunlight and prevents them from photosynthesising

Phytoplankton are the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, responsible for around half of the world's oxygen. They are also the base of the ocean food web, with small marine creatures like zooplankton, crustaceans, and small fish eating phytoplankton and, in turn, being consumed by larger predators. Phytoplankton are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution, which blocks sunlight and prevents them from photosynthesising.

Plastic pollution in the ocean is a significant and growing problem. Eighty percent of marine debris is plastic, and it is estimated that there is a stock of 86 million tons of plastic marine debris in the ocean worldwide as of 2013. This figure is predicted to grow to 250 million tons by 2025. Plastic does not biodegrade and will instead break down into smaller and smaller pieces, known as microplastics. These microplastics can be consumed by zooplankton, causing blockages in their digestive tracts.

Phytoplankton are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution because they rely on sunlight to photosynthesise. When plastic blocks the sun from reaching phytoplankton, it prevents them from photosynthesising and producing oxygen. This, in turn, leads to de-oxygenation and the creation of oceanic dead zones. Phytoplankton are also affected by the depletion of food caused by plastic pollution, as well as the contamination of marine creatures.

In addition to plastic pollution, phytoplankton are also vulnerable to other forms of pollution, such as crude oil spills, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals. They are also affected by climate change, which can alter light availability and increase water temperatures. Increasing water temperatures can cause deoxygenation, especially in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, which can turn into dead zones for most marine organisms.

Phytoplankton are also affected by microplastics, which they can mistake for food

Phytoplankton are the main primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. They are responsible for more than 90% of photosynthetic carbon fixation. Phytoplankton are also affected by microplastics, which they can mistake for food.

Microplastics are synthetic particles in the size range of 1 μm to 1000 μm. They are produced directly by manufacturing or secondarily by the breakdown of larger plastic material. Microplastics are emerging as a persistent contaminant in aquatic ecosystems.

Microplastics can alter phytoplankton community composition. A study conducted on the upper Georges River, an urban river on the South-East coast of Australia, showed that the highest concentrations of microplastics significantly altered the structure of phytoplankton communities. These differences were largely driven by increased abundances of cyanobacteria taxa Aphanocapsa and Pseudanabaena, and to a lesser extent reduced abundances of taxa including Crucigenia and Chlamydmonas.

A study conducted by Cole et al. investigated the effects of microplastics on the feeding behaviour, reproduction, and survival of the pelagic copepod Calanus helgolandicus. The results showed that copepods allowed to feed on polystyrene beads ingested fewer algae and also showed a shift in preference for smaller algal prey. Microplastic-fed copepods also displayed reduced reproductive success, as reflected by smaller egg size and reduced hatching success.

A study by Li et al. investigated the effects of different plastic leachates on larval mortality and settlement of the common marine barnacle Amphibalanus (=Balanus) amphitrite. The results showed that the different plastic materials presented different effects on settlement and mortality of these barnacles in their larval stages. Significantly higher mortality in newly hatched nauplii was observed for all plastic leachates except polystyrene at concentrations of 0.10 m2 L−1 or higher.

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