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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.
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in marine systems, yet their dynamics and risks remain poorly understood in open-ocean regions. This study presents the first high-resolution assessment of MPs in surface waters of the Kuroshio Extension (KE), a dynamic current system in the Northwest Pacific. Across 26 sites (35°-45°N, 148°-162°E), MP concentrations ranged from 0.32 to 23.68 items/m³ (mean 3.04 ± 5.54 items/m³), with fiber Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) dominating (>79%). We identified two key mechanisms shaping pollution patterns: mesoscale eddies enhance local accumulation, while strong current systems drive long-range transport. Fisheries and shipping emerged as major MP sources based on polymer type, morphology, and color signatures. A partial least squares (PLS) regression model showed that surface salinity and dissolved oxygen promote MP retention, while deeper chlorophyll maxima and warmer Sea Surface Temperature (SST) reduce it. These dynamics were captured by a newly developed Eco-Hydrological Co-regulation Index (ECI), which strongly correlated with MP abundance (r = 0.84, p < 0.05). Ecological risks were evaluated using the Pollution Load Index (PLI), Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), and Ecological Risk Index (ERI), supported by Monte Carlo simulations. While most sites posed low to moderate risk, two sites exceeded regional thresholds due to high-toxicity polymers. Overall, the KE acts as both a transboundary conduit and a sorting hub for MPs, emphasizing the need for microfiber-specific regulation and multidimensional risk assessment frameworks in offshore environments.
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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.
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.
Distribution of microplastics in bathyal- to hadal-depth sediments and transport process along the deep-sea canyon and the Kuroshio Extension in the Northwest Pacific
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Researchers mapped microplastic distribution from shallow to ultra-deep ocean sediments in the Northwest Pacific, including Sagami Bay and areas beneath the Kuroshio Extension current. The study found the highest microplastic concentrations in abyssal stations and suggests two distinct transport pathways: land-sourced microplastics move to hadal depths via turbidity currents along submarine canyons, while ocean-surface microplastics sink directly to the abyssal plains below.
Vertical Flux of Microplastics in the Deep Subtropical Pacific Ocean: Moored Sediment-Trap Observations within the Kuroshio Extension Recirculation Gyre
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Researchers used deep-ocean sediment traps to measure the downward flux of microplastics in the western North Pacific Ocean over a two-year period. They found that microplastics, primarily fibers, were sinking to depths of nearly 5,000 meters, with seasonal variations linked to biological processes at the surface. The study provides some of the first direct evidence that microplastics are actively being transported to the deep ocean floor.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.