Researchers have found the greatest pollution of coral reefs with plastic at depth
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At depth, the pollution of coral reefs with plastic becomes greater. This is evidenced by a study published in the journal Nature, writes The Guardian. Scientists have discovered that the deeper a reef is, the more plastic debris is likely to be in it. The study found that coral reefs are polluted with plastic, primarily weighed down by large items of fishing equipment, including ropes and nets. Food wrappers and plastic bottles are also common. According to the researchers, plastic poses a “new threat” to reefs already affected by the climate crisis and overfishing. Photo: Luis Rocha © California Academy of Sciences The researchers studied 85 reefs in more than 20 locations, including uninhabited atolls (coral islands that often have the shape of a broken or solid ring) and reefs at a depth of 150 meters in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The scientists used special diving equipment to study the “mesophotic” or twilight zones at a depth of 30-150 meters below the surface. Research team finds plastic materials in very remote diving sites “It was surprising to find that the amount of debris increases with depth because deeper reefs are generally farther from the sources of plastic pollution,” said Luis Rocha, co-director of the California Academy of Sciences’ Hope for Reefs initiative. . More plastic pollution was observed in reefs located closer to densely populated cities and markets, as well as marine protected areas, the boundaries of which are often visited by fishermen. Nearly three-quarters of all plastic items were linked to fishing. Plastics can spread coral disease, and fishing lines and nets can damage reef structures and harm fish abundance and diversity, the researchers noted. The Comoros Islands, off the southeast coast of Africa, were the worst hit, with nearly 84,500 plastic items per square kilometer. About 88% of all debris was macroplastics larger than 5 centimeters The Marshall Islands were the least polluted, with about 580 pieces per square kilometer. A fire urchin (Asthenosoma varium) with a piece of blue plastic One potential reason for more plastic at greater depths could be increased wave action and turbulence at the surface, which can drag debris deeper. Read also: Climate change could lead to tsunamis in the Southern Ocean with human casualties – study
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