Mongabay · Climate & nature

Plastic Pollution May Threaten Deep-Sea Bioluminescence

Plastic pollution could interfere with the bioluminescent light produced by deep-sea organisms, potentially impacting their survival and the wider ecosystem, according to researchers.

Ingesting plastics may disrupt the chemical pathways and damage tissues involved in bioluminescence, hindering deep-sea creatures' ability to find food and mates. Bioluminescence is the primary light source in the deep sea, crucial for the survival and reproduction of an estimated 80% of complex-celled organisms.

Disruption of this light could negatively affect food webs and ecosystem functions in the deep sea, the planet's largest and least-explored biome. For example, female anglerfish use a luminous lure, powered by symbiotic bacteria, to attract prey and for communication.

Pollutants are known to affect bacterial bioluminescence, and toxic plastic additives could theoretically disrupt the bacterial symbiosis in these lures. However, scientists lack sufficient high-quality data to fully understand these impacts.

Challenges in studying these effects include the fragility of deep-sea organisms and the inaccessibility of their habitats. Rigorous studies need to establish exposure, biological response, and causation under deep-sea conditions, not just detect plastics and organisms together.

Experts agree that more data is needed to confirm the threat microplastics pose to deep-sea bioluminescence, emphasizing the necessity of sustained, long-term monitoring to understand any significant impacts.

Researchers are hopeful that advanced technologies and remotely operated vehicles can facilitate future studies, moving the field beyond simply detecting plastic presence to examining its transport, ingestion, chemical leaching, food-web transfer, and biological stress on deep-sea life.

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