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From the sea surface to the deep seafloor: Microplastics prevail at all ocean depths of the HAUSGARTEN observatory (Arctic)
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Using in-situ pumps deployed at four depths (surface to 2500 m) at five Arctic Ocean stations, researchers found 16 to 8,750 microplastics per cubic meter comprising 15 polymer types throughout the water column. The study demonstrates that microplastics are not simply a surface phenomenon but pervade all depths in even remote Arctic waters.
Although recent research indicates that microplastic (MP) has spread to all marine ecosystem compartments from the sea surface to the deep sea, our understanding of transport pathways is still limited. Currently, our knowledge of MP concentrations throughout the water column is largely based on model runs. To fill this gap, we deployed in-situ pumps at four different depths (sea surface, ~300m, ~1000m, near seafloor) at five stations of the HAUSGARTEN observatory (west of Svalbard). These pumps filtered 218–560 litres of seawater (> 10µm). Our analyses using µFTIR spectroscopy resulted in 16–8,750 MP m-3, comprising 15 different polymer types. Of the four deep stations (2500m depth), the northernmost station, which is located in the marginal ice zone, harboured the highest concentration (1,373 MP m-3) throughout the water column, and polyamide accounted for the largest proportion (28%). The surface waters had the highest MP concentrations at all stations with a decrease throughout the water column. Our results will be compared with trends in the vertical distribution of organic particles and discussed in the context of prevailing water masses and sea ice coverage. Still, our preliminary results highlight that noticeable amounts of MP are present throughout the water column, Earth’s largest biome, which has been largely neglected in previous estimates of plastic in the world’s oceans.
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Microplastics prevail at all ocean depths of the HAUSGARTEN observatory (Arctic)
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Researchers deployed large-volume water pumps at four depths from the sea surface to near the seafloor at five stations in the Arctic HAUSGARTEN observatory, finding microplastics at all depths across all stations. The results confirm that microplastic contamination extends throughout the entire water column in even remote Arctic deep-sea environments.
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Scientists sampled the water column at multiple depths and deep-sea sediments at the HAUSGARTEN Arctic observatory, finding microplastics at all depths from surface to seafloor, with concentrations indicating that the Arctic deep sea is a significant long-term sink for microplastic pollution.
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Researchers found microplastics in deep-sea sediments at the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Arctic at depths of 2,340 to 5,570 meters, demonstrating that plastic pollution has reached even the most remote polar deep-sea environments far from human activity.
High Quantities of Microplastic in Arctic Deep-Sea Sediments from the HAUSGARTEN Observatory
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Researchers found high quantities of microplastics in deep-sea sediments from the Arctic HAUSGARTEN observatory, demonstrating that even remote deep Arctic seafloor environments have accumulated significant microplastic pollution.
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Researchers investigated the vertical distribution of microplastics across the water column and deep-sea sediments (>5 km) in the North Pacific Ocean, finding concentrations of 8-2600 items/m3 in the water column and 1100-3200 items/kg in sediments, with distinct patterns across the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, Papahanaumokuakea Monument, and a less-polluted open ocean site.
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