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Derelict Fishing Gear – Removing a Source of Microplastics from the Marine Environment
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Lost and abandoned fishing gear in the Mediterranean is a significant source of plastic fibers that fragment into microplastics over time, yet the relative contribution of fishing nets versus land-based sources remains unclear. Targeted retrieval programs for derelict gear could meaningfully reduce one controllable input of microplastic fibers into ocean ecosystems.
Lost fishing gear is omnipresent in the marine environment. The Mediterranean acts as a hotspot for microplastics, with a dominant fraction being fibres. The origin of these fibres – fishing nets, ropes, or land-based waste water, is unknown. Fishing nets take...
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Elimination of Microplastics from Marine Environments
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This review rounds up the different ways scientists are trying to clean tiny plastic particles (microplastics) out of the ocean, from filters and magnets to bacteria and enzymes that can actually break plastic down. This matters because microplastics in the ocean end up in seafood and eventually on our plates, so finding better cleanup methods could help reduce our exposure to these contaminants down the road. It's worth noting this paper doesn't test a new solution itself, it summarizes existing research to show which approaches look most promising and how combining them might work best.
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Researchers reviewed how fishing nets and gear made from synthetic materials like nylon shed microplastics into the ocean, identifying the fishing industry as a significant and often overlooked source of plastic particle pollution in marine environments.
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Researchers reviewed current physical, chemical, and biological techniques for removing microplastics from aquatic environments, evaluating their efficiency, scalability, and practical limitations. Identifying the most effective removal strategies is essential for protecting both aquatic ecosystems and human health, since waterways are a primary route through which microplastics enter drinking water and the food chain.
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Plastics and microplastics have achieved near-universal distribution in marine environments from surface waters to deep-sea sediments, persisting for decades while fragmenting into increasingly smaller and more biologically available particles. The growing concentration of microplastics in oceans represents a long-term threat to marine biodiversity and the food safety of seafood consumed globally.
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.