Qingxue Leng Ferdaus Mohamat-Yusuff ^* KHAIRUL NIZAM MOHAMED Nazatul Syadia Zainordin Mohd Zafri Hassan

• Putra Malaysia University, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

The world's reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production raises concerns about the environmental impact of thermal discharge on the marine ecosystem. As a potential alternative, the growing interest in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power plants further underscores the need for a comprehensive understanding of the effects of cold discharge on marine benthic communities. To better understand this issue, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed scientific articles published between 1974 and 2024. This analysis systematically considered the impacts of diverse environmental factors, including temperature, as well as the attributes of the power plant itself, on benthic organisms within marine ecosystems. China, the United States, and India were identified as the countries with the highest number of published studies investigating the ecological impact of power plant discharge. A notable trend has emerged in examining the effects of coastal power plant discharge on macrobenthos and coral reefs. This comprehensive review delved into the effects of thermal discharge on benthic organisms within power plant ecosystems, revealing that alterations in benthic community abundance (9.84%), community structure (8.20%), and distribution (8.20%) received significant attention in academic research. Concurrently, a significant negative correlation was observed between temperature variance and ambient water temperature concerning benthic abundance. To mitigate the adverse ecological impacts of power plant discharge, the study underscored the imperative for multidisciplinary efforts to implement appropriate monitoring and mitigation strategies to uphold the health and functionality of marine ecosystems.