Microplastics alter multiple biological processes of marine benthic fauna

Marine sediments are a sink for microplastics, making seabed organisms particularly exposed. We used meta-analysis to reveal general patterns in a surge in experimental studies and to test for microplastic impact on biological processes including invertebrate feeding, survival and energetics. Using Hedge's effect size (g), which assesses the mean response of organisms exposed to microplastics compared to control groups, we found negative impacts (significant negative g values) across all life stages (overall effect size (g) = −0.57 95 % CI [−0.76, −0.38]), with embryos most strongly affected (g = −1.47 [−2.21, −0.74]). Six of seven biological process rates were negatively impacted by microplastic exposure, including development, reproduction, growth and feeding. Survival strongly decreased (g = −0.69 [−1.21, −0.17]), likely due to cumulative effects on other processes such as feeding and growth. Among feeding habits, omnivores and deposit feeders were most negatively impacted (g = −0.93 [−1.69, −0.16] and −0.92 [−1.53, −0.31], respectively). The study incorporated the first meta-analysis to contrast the effects of leachates, virgin, aged and contaminated particles. Exposure to leachates had by far the strongest negative effects (g = −0.93 [−1.35, −0.51]), showing studies of contaminants and leachates are critical to future research. Overall, our meta-analysis reveals stronger and more consistent negative impacts of microplastics on seabed invertebrates than recorded for other marine biota. Seabed invertebrates are numerous and diverse, and crucial to bottom-up processes, including nutrient remineralisation, bentho-pelagic coupling and energy transfer through the ocean food web. Marine sediments will store microplastics over long timescales. The reveal that microplastics impinge on multiple fundamental biological processes of seabed fauna implies plastic pollution could have significant and enduring effects on the functioning of the ocean.