Massive occurrence of benthic plastic debris at the abyssal seafloor beneath the Kuroshio Extension, the North West Pacific

• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112188
• Publication Date: 2021-03-29T21:09:05Z
• Authors: Ryota Nakajima; Masashi Tsuchiya; Akinori Yabuki; Shuhei Masuda; Tomo Kitahashi; Yuriko Nagano; Tetsuro Ikuta; Noriyuki Isobe; Haruhiko Nakata; Heather Ritchie; Kazumasa Oguri; Satoshi Osafune; Kiichiro Kawamura; Maki Suzukawa; Takuya Yamauchi; Koichi Iijima; Takao Yoshida; Sanae Chiba; Katsunori Fujikura
• Keywords: Abyssal zone; Seafloor Spreading; Abyssal plain; Seabed

The abyss (3500–6500 m) covers the bulk of deep ocean floor yet little is known about extent plastic debris on abyssal seafloor. Using video imagery we undertook a quantitative assessment present seafloor (5700–5800 m depth) beneath Kuroshio Extension current system in Northwest Pacific. This body water one major transit pathways for massive amounts that are entering North Pacific Ocean from Asia. Shallower sites (1400–1500 were also investigated comparison. dominant type was single-use plastics - mainly bags and food packaging. density (mean 4561 items/km2) zone highest recorded an plain suggesting deep-sea basin significant reservoir debris.