We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Stranded pellets in Fildes Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica): New evidence of Southern Ocean connectivity
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted beach surveys in Antarctica and found 293 large microplastic and mesoplastic items on Fildes Peninsula, including the first recorded pellets south of 62 degrees S latitude, with polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene as the main polymers. The presence of these primary microplastics suggests ocean current connectivity between Antarctica and lower latitudes despite the Southern Ocean's multi-front structure.
Plastic and microplastic debris is transported by ocean currents over long distances, reaching remote areas, far from its original source. In Polar Regions, microplastics (MPs) can come from local activities or be transported from lower latitudes, with the former being the likely and major source. Although historically Antarctica was considered isolated from the global ocean, there is recent evidence of materials and organisms being transported in and out of the Southern Ocean, despite its multi-front structure. During the austral summer of 2019, beach surveys were conducted on the NW coast of the Fildes Peninsula (King George Island). The beach was characterised, and the first 2 cm of sediment from 5 quadrants (50 × 50 cm) along 100 m of the highest strandline were collected. Large microplastics (LMPs) and mesoplastics (MesoPs) were isolated, counted, measured, weighed and classified by shape. Polymer composition was analysed by FTIR and ageing estimated by Carbonyl Index. We found 293 items of LMPs (188 items) and MesoPs (105 items), with a total average density (±SD) of 234.4 ± 166 items m. Foams (130.4 ± 76.3), fragments (58.4 ± 56.0) and pellets (44.0 ± 50.5) were the most abundant shapes. The main polymers found were polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene. We found pellets among the MesoPs, being the first record for beaches in Antarctica. The presence of these primary MPs south of 62°S not only alerts about their possible direct consequences on Antarctic ecosystems, but also gives empirical evidence for the passive entry of plastic debris from lower latitudes through cross-frontal exchanges, providing new evidence of a global connectivity of the Southern Ocean. Despite increasing research, knowledge of plastics dynamics and their impact in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica is still limited but certainly necessary.
More Papers Like This
Floating macro- and microplastics around the Southern Ocean: Results from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed floating macro- and microplastic pollution around the Southern Ocean islands, providing baseline abundance estimates for high southern latitudes. The data reveal that plastic contamination extends even to remote polar regions, with seabirds in the area confirmed to have been ingesting plastics since at least the 1960s.
Microplastics in collins bay: establishing the foundation for a monitoring program in king george island, antarctica
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers established baseline microplastic contamination data in Collins Bay, King George Island, Antarctica, developing the foundation for a long-term monitoring program in one of the most remote polar environments. The study characterized microplastic abundance, morphology, and polymer composition in Antarctic coastal waters.
Occurrence and Distribution of Microplastics in Soils and Intertidal Sediments at Fildes Bay, Maritime Antarctica
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found microplastic contamination in soils and intertidal sediments at Fildes Bay in Maritime Antarctica, with higher concentrations near research stations, demonstrating that even remote polar environments are affected by microplastic pollution.
A record of microplastic in the marine nearshore waters of South Georgia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers established the first baseline estimate of microplastics in nearshore waters of South Georgia in the Southern Ocean, detecting concentrations averaging 1.75 particles per liter dominated by fragments, providing critical data for this understudied polar region.
Surface waters meso- and micro-litter around the Western Antarctic Peninsula: Are the South Shetland Islands a pollution hotspot?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed meso- and micro-litter in surface waters around the Western Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands across two summer seasons, providing one of the broadest assessments of marine debris in Antarctica. Even this remote polar region showed widespread plastic contamination, with fragments and lines dominating the debris found.
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.