The Fluid Mechanics of Ocean Microplastics

Abstract

Microplastic pollution is now ubiquitous in marine environments, posing risks to ecosystem and human health. In order to assess and mitigate this threat, we require accurate prediction of microplastic fate and transport in the ocean. While progress has been made studying global-scale transport pathways, our models often fall short at smaller scales; processes such as vertical transport, horizontal dispersion, particle transformation, and boundary fluxes (e.g., at beaches and the air–sea interface) remain poorly understood. The difficulty lies in the physical features of plastic particles: namely, near-neutral buoyancy in seawater, finite size, and irregular shape. These complexities are compounded by the multiscale forcing from waves and turbulence near the ocean surface where microplastics tend to reside. This review synthesizes recent advances in the fluid dynamics of marine plastic transport, emphasizing the role of fluid–particle interactions in ocean flows and highlighting outstanding challenges.