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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Impact of ocean dynamics on microplastics distribution in two oceanic eddies
ClearAssessing the microplastic retention and distribution in the water column in mesoscale eddies south of the Canary Islands
Researchers conducted the first in situ observations of microplastic concentrations within mesoscale eddies south of the Canary Islands, finding that these oceanographic structures influence the vertical distribution and retention of microplastics in the water column. The study provides new evidence that mesoscale eddies act as accumulation zones, affecting how microplastics are transported and redistributed in the open ocean.
Assessing the microplastic retention and distribution in the water column in mesoscale eddies south of the Canary Islands
Researchers conducted the first in situ observations of microplastic concentrations and vertical distribution within mesoscale ocean eddies south of the Canary Islands, investigating how these rotating current structures retain and redistribute microplastics through the water column.
Anticyclonic eddies increase accumulation of microplastic in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Researchers found that anticyclonic eddies significantly increase the accumulation of microplastics in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, using in situ measurements combined with satellite observations and modelling to reveal eddy-driven convergence as a key mechanism controlling microplastic distribution.
Microplastics in the open ocean at different depths in the Canary region: Origin, fate, and composition
Researchers characterized the origin, fate, and polymer composition of microplastics collected at different depths in the open ocean of the Canary region, examining the role of mesoscale oceanographic structures such as eddies in transporting plastic particles beyond the surface layer.
Aggregation and transport of microplastics by a cold-core ring in the southern recirculation of the Kuroshio Extension: the role of mesoscale eddies on plastic debris distribution
Researchers conducted shipboard surveys of floating microplastics within a cyclonic mesoscale eddy in the Kuroshio Extension. The study found that cold-core rings can aggregate and transport microplastics, suggesting that mesoscale ocean eddies may play a significant role in redistributing plastic debris across large ocean areas.
Influence of Mesoscale Eddies on the Three-Dimensional Distribution of Microplastics in the Western North Pacific
Scientists found that swirling ocean currents called eddies control where tiny plastic particles collect in the Pacific Ocean, with some areas concentrating plastics as deep as 600 meters underwater. This discovery helps us better understand how microplastics spread through the ocean and could improve predictions of where these pollutants end up in seafood and marine ecosystems. Understanding plastic distribution patterns is important because microplastics can work their way up the food chain and potentially affect human health through the fish we eat.
Microplastics in the open ocean at different depths in the Canary region: Origin, fate, and composition
Researchers characterized microplastics at multiple depths in the open ocean of the Canary region, examining how mesoscale oceanographic structures such as eddies, upwelling filaments, and wind-driven advection distribute particles beyond the surface and through the water column. They found microplastics at all sampled depths with polymer composition and abundance varying by depth, indicating that subsurface transport processes significantly affect microplastic fate in the open ocean.
Submesoscale eddies and their potential for buoyant microplastic accumulation
This study investigates how small ocean eddies called submesoscale eddies can trap and concentrate buoyant microplastics below the water surface, not just at the top. Using both physical oceanographic measurements and laboratory experiments, researchers found that these rotating water masses create subsurface attractors that pull floating particles downward. This matters because it helps explain why microplastics are found throughout the water column rather than only at the surface, complicating efforts to clean up or track ocean plastic pollution.
Lagrangian Evolution of the Trapping Capacity of Mesoscale Eddies in the Canary Eddy Corridor: A Numerical Modeling Approach
Researchers used OceanParcels Lagrangian modelling combined with the GLORYS12V1 reanalysis product to investigate how mesoscale eddies in the Canary Eddy Corridor trap and transport materials, finding that trapping capacity varies with eddy lifecycle phase and vertical structure, with implications for microplastic accumulation in the eastern North Atlantic.
Marine microplastics analysis and their transport in the water column of the Canary Islands region
Researchers characterized marine microplastics in the water column of the Canary Islands, tracking how ocean currents and physical processes transport particles vertically and horizontally. The study found that particle properties and oceanographic conditions jointly determine where microplastics accumulate in the water column.
A theory for attractors of microplastic particles in the resonant structures of a 3D eddy
Researchers developed a theoretical framework predicting the formation of attractors — closed-loop trajectories — for microplastic particles within the resonant structures of three-dimensional ocean eddies. The theory establishes criteria for when such attractors exist and provides a mechanism explaining observed accumulation of small rigid particles in recirculating oceanic flows.
Large eddy simulations of the accumulation of buoyant material in oceanic wind-driven and convective turbulence
Researchers used large eddy simulations to show that buoyant materials like microplastics accumulate at specific ocean surface zones driven by convergent currents under both wind-driven and convective turbulence, improving understanding of how plastics concentrate at the sea surface.
On the Vertical Structure of Mesoscale Eddies in the Kuroshio‐Oyashio Extension
Not relevant to microplastics — this study analyzes the vertical structure of ocean eddies in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension and their role in heat and material transport in the ocean.
Exploring the origin and fate of surface and sub-surface marine microplastics in the Canary Islands region
Researchers investigated the origin, transport, and fate of microplastics at various ocean depths around the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The study found high concentrations of microplastics at known hotspot beaches and provided new insights into how large-scale and mesoscale ocean dynamics influence the distribution of plastic particles in both surface and sub-surface waters.
Microfibers Accumulation within a Mediterranean Submesoscale Cyclone.
Scientists measured microfiber concentrations inside a submesoscale cyclonic eddy in the Western Mediterranean Sea using high-resolution oceanographic sampling. They found a pronounced subsurface accumulation of textile microfibers within the cyclone's core, showing that these rotating water features concentrate anthropogenic fiber pollution below the surface.
Role of Indian Ocean Dynamics on Accumulation of Buoyant Debris
Researchers used ocean circulation modeling to investigate the role of Indian Ocean dynamics in accumulating buoyant marine plastic debris, examining how Ekman convergence and regional current patterns shape the distribution of floating debris in the Indian Ocean subtropical gyre.
Differences in the Fate of Surface and Subsurface Microplastics: A Case Study in the Central Atlantic
Researchers studied microplastic distribution in the Central Atlantic and found that surface and subsurface samples differ not only in particle size but also in morphology, polymer types, abundance, and spatial distribution, driven by distinct hydrodynamic processes at the sea surface versus a few meters below.
Searching for hotspots of neustonic microplastics in the Canary Islands
Researchers surveying surface waters around the Canary Islands found that microplastic concentrations varied enormously — from near-negligible levels to very high concentrations where sea-surface slicks (windrow accumulations) formed, particularly south of Gran Canaria. The study demonstrates that oceanographic features like wind-driven convergence zones create localised hotspots of floating microplastic pollution, which has implications for marine wildlife exposure in these areas.
Zonal Distribution Characteristics of Microplastics in the Southern Indian Ocean and the Influence of Ocean Current
Microplastic concentrations were measured in seawater across the southern Indian Ocean along transects influenced by major ocean currents, finding that plastic distribution was shaped by circulation patterns with higher concentrations in convergence zones. The study provides baseline data on microplastic pollution in a relatively understudied and remote ocean region.
Microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in surface waters and beaches of the Canary Islands: A review
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.
The Role of Ekman Currents, Geostrophy, and Stokes Drift in the Accumulation of Floating Microplastic
Researchers modeled the roles of Ekman currents, geostrophic flow, Stokes drift, and mesoscale eddies in concentrating floating microplastic in subtropical gyres, finding that wind-driven Ekman transport is the dominant accumulation mechanism.
What Influences Microplastic Distribution in the Marine Environment? A Study Highlighting the Role of Fronts and Submesoscale Processes in the North Sea
Researchers combined in-situ microplastic sampling with oceanographic measurements in the North Sea to demonstrate that submesoscale processes, density fronts, and filaments play a critical role in MP transport and aggregation, creating convergence zones that serve as hotspots for microplastic accumulation.
Ocean current modulation of the spatial distribution of microplastics in the surface sediments of the Beibu Gulf, China
Researchers conducted a large-scale survey of microplastics in seafloor sediments of the Beibu Gulf in China and found that ocean currents play a major role in where microplastics accumulate. The study provides important data on how water circulation patterns transport and concentrate microplastic pollution in coastal marine environments.
Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation
Researchers discovered that deep-sea ocean currents, not just vertical settling from the surface, play a major role in concentrating microplastics on the seafloor, creating pollution hotspots with the highest concentrations ever recorded in any seafloor setting. These thermohaline-driven bottom currents sort and accumulate microplastics in the same areas where they deliver oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea life. The findings suggest that the most biologically rich areas of the deep ocean floor are likely also the most contaminated with microplastics.