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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Sign in to save

Source, sea and sink—A holistic approach to understanding plastic pollution in the Southern Caribbean

The Science of The Total Environment 2021 47 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 40 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Denise Delvalle-Borrero, Denise Delvalle-Borrero, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Taylor Maddalene, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Taylor Maddalene, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Kathryn Youngblood, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Molly K James, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Natalie S. Smith, Natalie S. Smith, Emily Penn, Natalie S. Smith, Natalie S. Smith, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Denise Delvalle-Borrero, Emily Penn, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Kathryn Youngblood, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Winnie Courtene‐Jones, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Sally Earthrowl, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Taylor Maddalene, Sally Earthrowl, Taylor Maddalene, Denise Delvalle-Borrero, Richard C. Thompson Emily Penn, Emily Penn, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Taylor Maddalene, Taylor Maddalene, Taylor Maddalene, Taylor Maddalene, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Kathryn Youngblood, Richard C. Thompson Jenna Jambeck, Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson Richard C. Thompson

Summary

Researchers took a holistic approach to characterizing plastic pollution across surface water, subsurface, sediment, and biota in the Southern Caribbean, finding that despite heavy tourism and fishing reliance, quantitative plastic data for the region had been largely absent.

Study Type Environmental

Marine plastics are considered to be a major threat to the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources of the Caribbean, on which the region relies heavily for tourism and fishing. To date, little work has quantified plastics within the Caribbean marine environment or examined their potential sources. This study aimed to address this by holistically integrating marine (surface water, subsurface water and sediment) and terrestrial sampling and Lagrangian particle tracking to examine the potential origins, flows and quantities of plastics within the Southern Caribbean. Terrestrial litter and the microplastics identified in marine samples may arise from the maritime and tourism industries, both of which are major contributors to the economies of the Caribbean region. The San Blas islands, Panama had the highest abundance of microplastics at a depth of 25 m, and significantly greater quantities in surface water than recorded in the other countries. Modelling indicated the microplastics likely arose from mainland Panama, which has some of the highest levels of mismanaged waste. Antigua had among the lowest quantities of terrestrial and marine plastics, yet the greatest diversity of polymers. Modelling indicated the majority of the microplastics in Antiguan coastal surface were likely to have originated from the wider North Atlantic Ocean. Ocean currents influence the movements of plastics and thus the relative contributions arising from local and distant sources which become distributed within a country's territorial water. These transboundary movements can undermine local or national legislation aimed at reducing plastic pollution. While this study presents a snapshot of plastic pollution, it contributes towards the void of knowledge regarding marine plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea and highlights the need for international and interdisciplinary collaborative research and solutions to plastic pollution.

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