Protecting our aquatic and polar ecosystems
Microplastics and environmental pollutants continue to threaten our marine and freshwater ecosystems across a wide range of settings, from local rivers, estuaries and aquaculture regions to some of the most remote environments on Earth.
At the 糖心TV, our researchers are uncovering how these pollutants move through ecosystems, impact wildlife and alter ecological processes.
With a passionate team of marine scientists, ecologists and civil engineers, our researchers have moved beyond documenting the presence of pollution to understand its ecological consequences. Scientists are examining not only direct toxic effects, but also secondary impacts, system-wide impacts, and how plastics and toxins are reshaping our ecosystems.
Our research projects raise awareness of the complex trade-offs between the technologies that make everyday life easier and their unintended environmental consequences: microplastics in air, fish and our freshwater ecosystems; a global decline in mussels; and the implications for marine life from pollution and chemicals.
Our research confirms that pollutants are globally distributed not because they are produced everywhere but because they are transported everywhere through oceanic and atmospheric systems. Many substances break down extremely slowly, and their effects last for decades. These are the 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� that we are finding even in Antarctica. One emerging research focus is the 鈥減lastisphere鈥�: a newly recognised habitat which sees organisms live on plastic waste, altering productivity, species interactions and ecosystems in ways that did not previously exist.
Beyond identifying where pollutants are found, our researchers are uncovering how microplastics and toxic metals affect organisms, ecosystems and critical life stages. This research moves beyond simple toxicology to examine ecosystem processes, species interactions and long-term environmental consequences.
While New Zealand continues to strengthen its management of plastic contamination through initiatives such as phasing out problematic plastics and persistent environmental toxins, strengthening our waste minimisation and recycling systems and growing public awareness and behaviour change initiatives, we highlight that pollution, especially for plastics, is a global challenge. In many parts of the world, plastic waste is difficult to manage, and our research in remote polar environments shows plastics are present wherever scientists look. The impact of plastic pollution is now comparable to that of changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide, affecting all levels of food chains and reshaping ecosystems worldwide.
Our long-standing international collaborations with iwi, Antarctic research programmes and Australian-funded initiatives have contributed to global efforts to understand and address environmental pollutants. For nearly 50 years, our scientists have led Antarctic research, supported by the , providing interdisciplinary science to support the conservation, protection and management of polar ecosystems, including research into long-lasting environmental pollutants in the Ross Sea region.
2025 Highlights
Our researchers are advancing understanding of microplastics and environmental pollutants by revealing both their global reach and their complex effects on ecosystems. In 2025, we showed that pollutants are now present across marine, freshwater and polar environments, shaped by human activity and climate change, while also uncovering ecosystem and life-cycle impacts critical to environmental protection and sustainable management.
Pollution is global
Our research in the Antarctic marine environment found chemicals in seawater, seafloor sediment and marine life near research stations, with the highest concentrations in locations most strongly linked to human activity. These pollutants are also carried from other parts of the world and historic accumulations are being released into the environment through enhanced melting of glaciers. While current risks to small marine organisms remain low, the persistence of these substances and their potential to build up over time demonstrate that Antarctica is not isolated from global pollution and environmental stress.
In a world-first study, we also detected microplastics in both airborne and deposited particles in the Arctic, where atmospheric modelling showed that while some pollution likely originated from nearby oceans and polar regions, the highest concentrations were linked to air masses arriving from Europe.
Our complex ecosystem and life cycle effects
Our studies of coastal environments showed that land-derived metal contaminants, particularly zinc and lead, are present in seawater, sediments and mussel tissues, where they can harm the survival and development of mussel larvae. Climate-related stressors, such as stronger storms, marine heatwaves and increased sediment runoff, are likely to worsen these impacts, posing risks to mussel populations, including New Zealand鈥檚 green-lipped mussel, which is vital to aquaculture.
Further research on coral reef fish showed that consuming microplastics increased internal stress and cellular damage, even though short-term survival during predator encounters was unaffected. These subtle health impacts may influence growth, energy use and long-term survival, with potential implications for marine food webs.
Citations
Kim, D., Lee, H., Kim, K., Kim, S., Kim, J. H., Kim, J. H., Ko, Y. W., Hawes, I., Oh, J., Kim, J., & Kim, J. (2024). Persistent organic pollutants in the Antarctic marine environment: The influence impacts of human activity, regulations, and climate change. Environmental Pollution, 363(Pt 1), 125100.
Kong, Z. H., Liu, T., Burdon, F. J., Truchy, A., Futter, M., Bundschuh, M., Hurley, R., Bertilsson, S., & McKie, B. G. (2025). Microplastics in freshwaters: Comparing effects of particle properties and an invertebrate consumer on microbial communities and ecosystem functions. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 274, 117697.
MacDonald, A., Evangeliou, N., Eckhardt, S., Castle, D., White, C. J., Phoenix, V. R., & Materi膰, D. (2025). Polar particles: Atmospheric microplastic pollution in the Arctic region鈥擜n examination of deposited and suspended microplastics in Ny-脜lesund, Svalbard. Research Square.
Mannering, A. M., Burritt, D. J., Komyakova, V., Ferrari, M. C. O., Vamvounis, G., Gulizia, A. M., Staples, A., McCormick, M. I., & Allan, B. J. M. (2025). Microplastic consumption elevates fish oxidative stress but does not affect predator-driven mortality. Science of the Total Environment, 930, 179644.
Vignier, J., Champeau, O., Atalah, J., South, P., McDougall, D., Jeffs, A., Blackwell, D., Tremblay, L. A., & Rolton, A. (2025). Land-derived metals impact the survival and settlement of larval mussels. Environmental Pollution, 373, 125675.