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In search for the sources of plastic marine litter that contaminates the Easter Island Ecoregion
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Researchers used oceanographic modeling to trace the sources of plastic marine litter contaminating the remote Easter Island Ecoregion, finding contributions from distant land-based sources carried by ocean currents. The study illustrates how plastic pollution can reach even the most isolated marine ecosystems far from population centers.
Subtropical gyres are the oceanic regions where plastic litter accumulates over long timescales, exposing surrounding oceanic islands to plastic contamination, with potentially severe consequences on marine life. Islands' exposure to such contaminants, littered over long distances in marine or terrestrial habitats, is due to the ocean currents that can transport plastic over long ranges. Here, this issue is addressed for the Easter Island ecoregion (EIE). High-resolution ocean circulation models are used with a Lagrangian particle-tracking tool to identify the connectivity patterns of the EIE with industrial fishing areas and coastline regions of the Pacific basin. Connectivity patterns for "virtual" particles either floating (such as buoyant macroplastics) or neutrally-buoyant (smaller microplastics) are investigated. We find that the South American shoreline between 20°S and 40°S, and the fishing zone within international waters off Peru (20°S, 80°W) are associated with the highest probability for debris to reach the EIE, with transit times under 2 years. These regions coincide with the most-densely populated coastal region of Chile and the most-intensely fished region in the South Pacific. The findings offer potential for mitigating plastic contamination reaching the EIE through better upstream waste management. Results also highlight the need for international action plans on this important issue.
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Basin-scale sources and pathways of microplastic that ends up in the Galápagos Archipelago
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Researchers used ocean transport modeling to trace the sources of plastic litter washing up on the Galapagos Islands, finding that most originates from distant coastal sources rather than local activity. The work highlights how remote, protected ecosystems can be contaminated by plastic pollution generated far away.
Understanding the sources of marine litter in remote islands: The Galapagos islands as a case study
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Researchers tracked plastic bottle litter on 60 remote beaches across the Galapagos Islands from 2018 to 2022 to determine where marine debris originates. The study found that 76% of beaches were badly polluted, with bottles traced to sources in Asia, South America, and Central America, demonstrating how ocean currents carry plastic waste thousands of miles to even the most isolated island ecosystems.
Basin-scale sources and pathways of microplastic that ends up in the Galápagos Archipelago
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Researchers used ocean surface current modeling to trace sources of plastic litter accumulating on Galápagos Archipelago coastlines, finding that pollution originates primarily from nearby fishing regions and South American coastlines, particularly northern Peru and southern Ecuador.
Marine litter arrived: Distribution and potential sources on an unpopulated atoll in the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean Sea
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Even on an uninhabited atoll in the Caribbean, plastic litter dominated marine debris, with most items likely arriving from sea-based sources such as fishing vessels. This finding shows that remote, undeveloped locations are not immune to plastic pollution carried by ocean currents.
Marine protected areas invaded by floating anthropogenic litter: An example from the South Pacific
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Researchers found that marine protected areas in the Easter Island Ecoregion of the South Pacific are heavily invaded by floating anthropogenic litter traceable to high-seas industrial fisheries, with seabirds suffering both microplastic ingestion and macroplastic nest contamination.
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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.