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Protected areas in the Atlantic facing the hazards of micro-plastic pollution: first diagnosis of three islands in the Canary Current.
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Microplastic concentrations were measured at 125 beaches on three Atlantic islands (Lanzarote, La Graciosa, and Fuerteventura) in the Canary Current using partnerships with local communities. The study found substantial microplastic pollution in protected Atlantic coastal areas, raising concerns about the adequacy of marine protected areas in the face of plastic contamination.
Coastal zones and the biosphere as a whole show signs of cumulative degradation due to the use and disposal of plastics. To better understand the manifestation of plastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean, we partnered with local communities to determine the concentrations of micro-plastics in 125 beaches on three islands in the Canary Current: Lanzarote, La Graciosa, and Fuerteventura. We found that, in spite of being located in highly-protected natural areas, all beaches in our study area are exceedingly vulnerable to micro-plastic pollution, with pollution levels reaching concentrations greater than 100 g of plastic in 1l of sediment. This paper contributes to ongoing efforts to develop solutions to plastic pollution by addressing the questions: (i) Where does this pollution come from?; (ii) How much plastic pollution is in the world's oceans and coastal zones?; (iii) What are the consequences for the biosphere?; and (iv) What are possible solutions?
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Microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in surface waters and beaches of the Canary Islands: A review
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This review assesses a decade of research on microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in the waters and beaches of the Canary Islands. The study highlights how the archipelago's position in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre makes it particularly vulnerable to oceanic transport of plastic debris from remote sources.
Estudio de la abundancia de microplásticos en doce playas de la isla de Tenerife (Islas Canarias)
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Researchers conducted a systematic survey of microplastic abundance on 12 beaches across Tenerife in the Canary Islands, finding particles at all sites with highest concentrations in tourist and urban beach areas. The results confirm that even the beaches of a popular Atlantic island tourist destination are contaminated with microplastics.
First Observations and Monitoring of Microplastics on Oceanic and Coastal Waters off the Canary Islands (Subtropical NE Atlantic)
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Researchers conducted some of the first systematic monitoring of microplastics in ocean and coastal waters around the Canary Islands, highlighting the challenge of designing sampling methods that can capture microplastic distribution across large open-ocean areas and calling for standardized monitoring approaches.
Microplastic pollution in sublittoral coastal sediments of a North Atlantic island: The case of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain)
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Researchers found microplastic contamination in sublittoral coastal sediments at 5-7 m depth around La Palma island in the Canary Islands, with concentration varying by sampling location and depth within sediment cores.
Searching hotspots of neustonic microplastics contamination in the Canary Islands.
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The IMPLAMAC expedition surveyed microplastic concentrations at the sea surface around the Canary Islands, an area influenced by the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and the Canary Current. Hotspots of neustonic microplastic contamination were mapped, with the highest concentrations found in areas where converging currents concentrate floating debris. The data provide a detailed picture of how ocean circulation patterns create uneven distributions of microplastics across an archipelago.
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.