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Occurrence and abundance of meso and microplastics in sediment, surface waters, and marine biota from the South Pacific region
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A rapid Nile red fluorescence screening method was applied to characterize meso- and microplastic concentrations in sediments, surface waters, and biota from South Pacific sampling sites. The method enabled broad spatial screening across an under-studied ocean region, establishing baseline microplastic data where almost no prior data existed.
Data on the occurrence and abundance of meso and microplastics for the South Pacific are limited and there is urgent need to fill this knowledge gap. The main aim of the study was to apply a rapid screening method, based on the fluorescence tagging of polymers using Nile red, to determine the concentration of meso and microplastics in biota, sediment and surface waters near the capital cities of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. A spatial investigation was carried out for sediment, biota and water as well as a temporal assessment for sediment for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018). Accumulation zones for microplastics were identified supported by previous hydrodynamic models. Microplastics were detected for all environmental compartments investigated indicating their widespread presence for Vanuatu and Solomons Islands. This method was in alignment with previous recommendations that the Nile red method is a promising approach for the largescale mapping of microplastics in a monitoring context.
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Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance, distribution, and composition across the mid-west Pacific Ocean, an area with previously limited data, finding widespread contamination across sampled stations. The dominant particle types were fibers and fragments, with concentrations varying by location and depth.
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This study quantified both macro- and microplastic pollution on the coral reef of Mo'orea in French Polynesia, finding plastic at every sampled beach and in reef sediments. The research demonstrates that even remote Pacific island coral reefs receive significant plastic contamination from oceanic gyres and local sources.
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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 Northwestern Pacific: Abundance, distribution, and characteristics
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Microplastics were sampled at 18 stations across the Northwestern Pacific Ocean surface using manta trawls, finding widespread but heterogeneous distribution, with higher concentrations in areas near shipping lanes and ocean current convergence zones and polyethylene and polypropylene as dominant polymers. The study provides open-ocean baseline data for the Northwestern Pacific, a region historically underrepresented in microplastic monitoring.
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.