The mass of “invisible” microplastics found in the upper waters of the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 12 to 21 million tonnes, according to research published in the journal Nature Communications. Significantly, this figure is only for three of the most common types of plastic litter in a limited size range. Yet, it is comparable in magnitude to estimates of all plastic waste that
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By Devin Partida Microplastics are very tiny pieces of plastic either created intentionally for abrasive purposes or formed from larger pieces of decomposed plastic. They’re small enough to infest natural underwater vegetation or be eaten by wildlife. As such, microplastics pose a significant threat to our oceans and marine conservation efforts. In the past, microplastics were removed by placing filters in
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U.K. National Oceanography Centre (NOC) research has revealed for the first time how submarine sediment avalanches can transport microplastics from land into the deep ocean. The study also revealed that these flows are responsible for sorting different types of microplastics–burying some, and moving others vast distances across the seafloor. These findings may help predict the location of future seafloor microplastic
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The Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative (MRECo) assisted with installing a groundbreaking microplastics (MPs) and harmful algal bloom (HAB) sensor called HABStats to track MPs and HABs through the Cape Cod Canal and onward into Buzzards Bay that may have originated in the region around the Deer Island Treatment Plant in Boston. As part of a NOAA Phase II SBIR contract, Dr. Scott
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Researchers have developed a new approach to purging water sources of the microplastics that pollute them without harming nearby microorganisms.
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Research published this month reveals that microplastics often accumulate on the deep sea floor in the same place as diverse and dense marine life communities. This is because the same submarine sediment flows that transfer the oxygen and nutrients needed to sustain life, also transport microplastics from urban rivers to the deep-sea floor via pathways such as submarine canyons. The findings result
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