In this study, we assessed plastic accumulation in marine sediments due to finfish aquaculture using floating net-pens. We studied plastic concentrations around three fish farms located at the Mediterranean coastline of Spain. The macroplastic categories and abundances were determined by video monitoring...
We found that the average density of plastic (1 item per 4 m2), as well as its frequency of occurrence (100% of the sites sampled), are comparable to the accumulation zones described for the five subtropical ocean gyres. Plastic debris in the Mediterranean surface waters was dominated by ...
The GPGP is the largest accumulation of floating plastic in the ocean – but it’s not the only gyre where floating plastic accumulates. Currently, there is limited research on theother gyres. We aim to map these other gyres as we have for the GPGP, with expeditions across the North Atlant...
This is a key difference with existing plastics that are biodegradable — currently, none of these materials can be degraded and dissolved into water, resulting in the accumulation of microplastics in the ocean as they break down over time. “Our new plastics break apart into the starting compoun...
The study also notes that there are enough signs to suggest that plastic pollution could have an “extensive toxicological impacts on organisms living in the plastic accumulation regions”. This, the authors add, is resulting in a threat to the rich Mediterranean ecosystem that requires attention. ...
The accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean can lead to the spread of diseases, such as cholera and typhoid, which can be transmitted through contaminated seafood. This can have a severe impact on the health of communities that rely on seafood as their primary source of protein. Plastic ...
Plastic accumulation in the oceans (both micro and macro) is not linked to the country of origin of the waste, traveling across the globe as dictated by ocean currents. It harms marine life, and has been linked to the transfer of pollutants (which absorb into the plastic structure) and ...
the wider picture accessibly Junk Raft does just this—while exposing our frustratingly slow progress on an issue of major importance to fisheries, tourism and, finally, the health of the world's oceans.Eriksen lists the issues associated with the accumulation of sea plastic: the causes, ...
Predicted global figures for plastic debris accumulation in the ocean surface layer range on the order of hundreds of thousands of metric tons, representing only a few percent of estimated annual emissions into the marine environment. The current accepted explanation for this difference is that positiv...
Within this area, the transect was positioned with the middle 2 m wide strip centred over the high tide mark (i.e., area of known debris accumulation). (2) We collected data on the density of debris located within the low-lying beach-back vegetation using twelve 10 × 2 m ...