Mongabay · Climate & nature

Remote Submarine Canyon Off Argentina's Coast Contains Plastic and Rubber Litter

A recent study has documented the presence of plastic and rubber waste in the Mar Del Plata Submarine Canyon, located over 1,000 meters deep off the coast of Argentina.

Researchers using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to study the canyon's biodiversity unexpectedly observed 29 pieces of litter, primarily plastic and some rubber, during 17 dives. Items included plastic bags, wrappers, a plastic cup, and a rubber boot, with one plastic tissue-paper packaging found at a depth of 3,814 meters.

The litter was not isolated; marine organisms were observed attached to some items, such as a sea star on a plastic bag and a fishing rope colonized by organisms. This suggests that deep-sea litter can persist and become part of the benthic environment, though the exact impact on organisms remains unclear.

While much marine litter originates on land, the researchers suspect that the litter in this canyon, being far from shore and dominated by fishing-related materials, likely stems from offshore activities like fishing. This highlights the reach of human activity into even remote deep-sea ecosystems.

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