Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: Implications for Ecosystem Services and the Sustainability of Fisheries

Abstract

Microplastic pollution has become widespread in aquatic ecosystems worldwide; however, its consequences for ecosystem service provision and fisheries’ long-term sustainability remain poorly integrated across scientific disciplines. While previous reviews have primarily focused on sources, distribution patterns, and toxicological responses, this review advances the field by synthesizing existing evidence through an ecosystem-service framework. Specifically, it integrates organism-level biological responses with population dynamics and fishery productivity to evaluate how microplastic exposure may influence provisioning, regulating, and supporting services. It also critically provides patterns of sublethal effects, trophic transfer dynamics, and interactions with co-stressors. Particular attention is given to the challenge of scaling from physiological responses to measurable impacts on biomass production, recruitment stability, and habitat functionality. To clarify these linkages, the review provides a structured synthesis of service pathways connecting microplastic exposure to fishery-relevant outcomes and highlights priority research gaps necessary for quantitative risk assessment. In conclusion, advancing sustainability assessments requires long-term, field-based integration of ecotoxicology, population modeling, and ecosystem process metrics. By reframing microplastic pollution within a service-delivery context, this review offers a focused analytical foundation for evaluating its significance to sustainable fisheries and aquatic resource governance.