Media coverage
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Media coverage
Title Microplastics found in greater quantities than ever before on seabed Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet Guardian Media type Print Country/Territory United Kingdom Date 30/04/20 Description Scientists have discovered microplastics in greater quantities than ever before on the seabed, and gathered clues as to how ocean currents and deep-sea circulation have carried them there.
Microplastics – tiny pieces of plastic less than 5mm in size – are likely to accumulate most densely on the ocean floor in areas that are also biodiversity hotspots, intensifying the damage they may do to marine ecosystems, according to the research.
The international research team found up to 1.9m pieces in a thin layer near the seafloor covering just 1 sq metre. The discovery suggests that deep-sea currents act as conveyor belts that concentrate microplastics in hotspots, similar to the “garbage patches” visible on the surface in parts of the Pacific.URL https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/30/microplastics-found-in-greater-quantities-than-ever-before-on-seabed-currents-hotspots Persons Ian Kane