Plastic debris in the open ocean
Andrés Cózar,Fidel Echevarría,J. Ignacio González-Gordillo,Xabier Irigoien,Bárbara Úbeda,Santiago Hernández-León,Alvaro T. Palma,Sandra Navarro,Juan García-de-Lomas,Andrea Ruiz,María L. Fernández-de-Puelles,Carlos M. Duarte +11 more
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TLDR
Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, this work shows a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density.Abstract:
There is a rising concern regarding the accumulation of floating plastic debris in the open ocean. However, the magnitude and the fate of this pollution are still open questions. Using data from the Malaspina 2010 circumnavigation, regional surveys, and previously published reports, we show a worldwide distribution of plastic on the surface of the open ocean, mostly accumulating in the convergence zones of each of the five subtropical gyres with comparable density. However, the global load of plastic on the open ocean surface was estimated to be on the order of tens of thousands of tons, far less than expected. Our observations of the size distribution of floating plastic debris point at important size-selective sinks removing millimeter-sized fragments of floating plastic on a large scale. This sink may involve a combination of fast nano-fragmentation of the microplastic into particles of microns or smaller, their transference to the ocean interior by food webs and ballasting processes, and processes yet to be discovered. Resolving the fate of the missing plastic debris is of fundamental importance to determine the nature and significance of the impacts of plastic pollution in the ocean.read more
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Microplastics in tourist beaches of Huatulco Bay, Pacific coast of southern Mexico
I. Retama,M.P. Jonathan,V.C. Shruti,S. Velumani,S. K. Sarkar,Priyadarsi D. Roy,P. F. Rodríguez-Espinosa +6 more
TL;DR: Overall, a high amount of microplastics is present in the Conejos, Tangolunda, Santa Cruz, and San Agustin beaches, mainly derived from tourism-based activities and effluents discharged from the hotels and restaurants located along the beaches.
Journal ArticleDOI
Patterns, dynamics and consequences of microplastic ingestion by the temperate coral, Astrangia poculata.
Randi D. Rotjan,Randi D. Rotjan,Randi D. Rotjan,Koty H. Sharp,Anna E. Gauthier,Anna E. Gauthier,Rowan Yelton,Rowan Yelton,Eliya Baron Lopez,Eliya Baron Lopez,Jessica Carilli,Jonathan C. Kagan,Juanita Urban-Rich +12 more
TL;DR: Findings detail specific mechanisms by which microplastics threaten corals, but also hint that the coral A. poculata, which has a large coastal range, may serve as a useful bioindicator and monitoring tool for microplastic pollution.
Journal ArticleDOI
Differentiating littering, urban runoff and marine transport as sources of marine debris in coastal and estuarine environments.
TL;DR: This work carried out standardized surveys at 224 transect surveys at 67 sites in two estuaries and along the open coast in Tasmania, Australia, finding strong support for all three mechanisms regarding the sources of debris, however, onshore transport from the marine reservoir was the most important mechanism.
Journal ArticleDOI
Effects of micro-sized polyethylene spheres on the marine microalga Dunaliella salina: Focusing on the algal cell to plastic particle size ratio.
TL;DR: It is confirmed that MP size contributes towards determining how plastics affect microalgae, and as MP size shrinks compared to algal cell size, MPs have increasingly adverse effects.
Book ChapterDOI
Macroplastics Pollution in the Marine Environment
Luís Gabriel Antão Barboza,Luís Gabriel Antão Barboza,Andrés Cózar,Barbara C.G. Gimenez,Barbara C.G. Gimenez,Thayanne Lima Barros,Peter J. Kershaw,Lúcia Guilhermino +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an overview of the global distribution of marine plastic debris in the world oceans, and threats from plastic pollution to wildlife and the environment are discussed. At the end of the chapter, global action and initiatives, as well as agreements and measures to prevent and combat plastic debris, are presented.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
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Journal ArticleDOI
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TL;DR: Model calculations and experimental observations consistently show that polyethylene accumulates more organic contaminants than other plastics such as polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride, and PCBs could transfer from contaminated plastics to streaked shearwater chicks.