Media coverage
1
Media coverage
Title Researchers uncover highest-ever amount of microplastics on ocean floor Country/Territory United Kingdom Date 1/05/20 Description
Researchers uncover highest-ever amount of microplastics on ocean floor
By Sophie Lewis
May 1, 2020 / 8:04 PM / CBS News
Researchers have uncovered the highest-ever concentration of microplastics on the seafloor. According to a new study in the journal Science, scientists recently found 1.9 million pieces in an area of about 11 square feet in the Mediterranean Sea.
Over 10 million tons of plastic waste enter oceans each year — but the visible floating plastic that has led to anti-straw and anti-plastic bag movements accounts for less than 1% of the ocean's total plastic.
The other 99% is thought to live in the deep ocean — and the new study helps to explain how it ends up there. Researchers were able to track deep-sea currents and show how they act like "conveyor belts" to transport microplastics across the seafloor.URL https://www.cbsnews.com/news/highest-ever-concentration-microplastic-ocean-floor-plastic-pollution/ Persons Ian Kane