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Searching for hotspots of neustonic microplastics in the Canary Islands
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Researchers surveying surface waters around the Canary Islands found that microplastic concentrations varied enormously — from near-negligible levels to very high concentrations where sea-surface slicks (windrow accumulations) formed, particularly south of Gran Canaria. The study demonstrates that oceanographic features like wind-driven convergence zones create localised hotspots of floating microplastic pollution, which has implications for marine wildlife exposure in these areas.
In this study, we investigated the concentration, distribution, and characteristics of neustonic MPs in the Canary Islands, with a particular focus on the island leeward zones, where a high accumulation of floating marine microplastics is expected. Samples were collected with a manta net at 15 different sites from Alegranza to La Gomera during the IMPLAMAC expedition. The microplastic concentration in surface waters ranged from 0.27 MPs/m in Alegranza to 136.7 MPs/m in the south of Gran Canaria. The highest concentration of MPs found was due to the presence of a sea-surface slick, also called "marine litter windrow", formed in the south of Gran Canaria. The most abundant zooplankton group in the neuston was copepods, except at the marine litter windrow where fish larvae and eggs predominated. This indicates that coastal areas where marine litter windrows are formed have a high risk of MP ingestion and potential adverse effects on biota.
More Papers Like This
Searching hotspots of neustonic microplastics contamination in the Canary Islands.
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The IMPLAMAC expedition surveyed microplastic concentrations at the sea surface around the Canary Islands, an area influenced by the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and the Canary Current. Hotspots of neustonic microplastic contamination were mapped, with the highest concentrations found in areas where converging currents concentrate floating debris. The data provide a detailed picture of how ocean circulation patterns create uneven distributions of microplastics across an archipelago.
Exploring the origin and fate of surface and sub-surface marine microplastics in the Canary Islands region
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Researchers investigated the origin, transport, and fate of microplastics at various ocean depths around the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The study found high concentrations of microplastics at known hotspot beaches and provided new insights into how large-scale and mesoscale ocean dynamics influence the distribution of plastic particles in both surface and sub-surface waters.
Marine microplastics analysis and their transport in the water column of the Canary Islands region
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Researchers characterized marine microplastics in the water column of the Canary Islands, tracking how ocean currents and physical processes transport particles vertically and horizontally. The study found that particle properties and oceanographic conditions jointly determine where microplastics accumulate in the water column.
Assessing Macro & Mesoscale Transport of Microplastic at Open Ocean in North Atlantic Ocean at Different Depths
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Researchers studied large-scale microplastic transport patterns around the Canary Islands using ocean current modeling and field sampling at depths from 0 to 1,200 meters. They found highly variable microplastic concentrations across the islands, influenced by current dynamics and proximity to the African coastal upwelling. The study helps explain why some islands accumulate far more microplastics than others and provides insight into how ocean circulation distributes plastic pollution.
Microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in surface waters and beaches of the Canary Islands: A review
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This review assesses a decade of research on microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in the waters and beaches of the Canary Islands. The study highlights how the archipelago's position in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre makes it particularly vulnerable to oceanic transport of plastic debris from remote sources.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.