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Marine microplastics in the surface waters of “pristine” Kuroshio
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Researchers found microplastic concentrations in Taiwan's coastal waters and the Kuroshio current averaging 0.05 items/m³, with polypropylene and polyethylene dominating, and identified hotspots suggesting rivers and local currents transport plastics into the North Pacific Gyre.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in oceans. Their transboundary transport and fate have aroused global attention. Taiwan is located close to the western boundary current-Kuroshio, is an excellent location to study of MP mobility in the global current and Pacific Garbage Patch. This study is the first investigation to understand the microplastic contamination from Taiwan to the Kuroshio. MP concentrations in the area varied from N.D. to 0.15 items m, with an average concentration of 0.05 ± 0.03 items m. The majority of MPs were polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene and terephthalate. We found two MP hotspots near the coastal zone. One additional hotspot was also identified in the "pristine" Kuroshio suggesting rivers and local currents may play critical roles in transporting or injecting MPs from Taiwan into the North Pacific Gyre. These findings suggest that marine environments are altered by anthropogenic disposal and provide needed data for modelling and prediction of MPs.
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Prevalence of microplastic pollution in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean
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Researchers conducted the first systematic field survey of microplastic pollution at the surface of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, finding concentrations spanning two orders of magnitude and identifying polyethylene as the dominant polymer type, with the highest concentrations associated with convergence zones shaped by the Kuroshio Current and adjacent eddies.
Microplastics in the western Pacific and South China Sea: Spatial variations reveal the impact of Kuroshio intrusion
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Surface microplastic distribution in the western Pacific and South China Sea was strongly influenced by Kuroshio Current intrusion, with stations affected by Kuroshio showing distinct polymer composition and concentration patterns from those outside its influence, demonstrating that major western boundary currents redistribute microplastics across ocean basin scales.
Not just a corridor: Hydrodynamic traps and fiber risk in the Kuroshio extension
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Researchers conducted the first high-resolution assessment of microplastics in the Kuroshio Extension, a major Northwest Pacific current, finding concentrations ranging from 0.32 to 23.68 items/m³ across 26 sites. Hydrodynamic traps within the current system were identified as MP accumulation zones, and fiber-type plastics posed elevated ecological risk to organisms in the region.
Environmental implications of microplastic pollution in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean
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Researchers assessed microplastic concentrations, distribution, and characteristics across the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, finding widespread contamination with significant spatial variation and identifying environmental implications for marine ecosystems in this understudied region.
Microplastics in the tropical Northwestern Pacific Ocean and the Indonesian seas
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Researchers measured microplastic abundance in the tropical Northwestern Pacific and Indonesian seas, finding very low concentrations in open-ocean currents but an order of magnitude higher levels in the Indonesian straits due to river runoff and current convergence patterns.
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.