Recently the impact of man-made debris on ocean ecosystems has not only captured the
attention of the scientific community but the general public as well.
Most efforts to document this marine debris have focused on beaches, coastal habitats,
and the surface waters of the open ocean.
While it is easy for us to notice evidence of human impacts where we live, work and play,
there are remote areas on our planet that we rarely see.
One of those places is the deep sea.
Our ocean covers 71% of the Earth�s surface, but with an average depth of 12,000 feet,
the deep seafloor is almost as inaccessible as the moon.
Due to the challenges and high costs of conducting research deep in the ocean, we know relatively
little about human debris in this vast habitat.
With the increasing use of advanced technologies, like remotely operated vehicles, we are uncovering
the far-reaching extent of unmanaged garbage.
For the past 25 years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has recorded evidence
of debris up to 13,000 feet deep and 300 miles offshore.
MBARI has explored the waters off of central and southern California, the Pacific Northwest,
Hawaii, and the Gulf of California.
We�ve seen trash everywhere we�ve looked.
MBARI biologists analyzed 3.6 million deep-sea observation records from over 18,000 hours
of archival video.
More than 1,100 observations of marine debris were recorded from the greater Monterey Bay
region alone.
The majority of debris items were single-use, recyclable items.
Plastic shopping bags and aluminum beverage cans were most common overall.
Surprisingly, plastic and metal were found relatively more frequently at deeper depths,
suggesting that the extent of marine debris may be far greater than known to date.
Garbage may be quickly buried and hidden from view, leading us to further underestimating
the problem.
The long-term effects of trash on deep-sea life are largely unknown, but the leaching
of chemicals, entanglement, and biological changes to the ecosystem are certainly detrimental.
This shipping container full of more than 1,000 steel-belted tires was found on the
seabed.
Certain seafloor animals not normally found in this habitat, settled on the hard surface
in the middle of an otherwise soft muddy seafloor, disrupting the natural biological community.
Degradation of man-made debris items in the deep sea is slow.
Because there is no sunlight and very low oxygen, plastic could persist for centuries.
As it breaks down over time, plastic fragments into very small particles that are more likely
to be ingested by the tiny animals living on and within the sediment.
So, what can be done?
Unmanaged trash can enter the ocean from land, even far inland, and can be carried long distances
by local waterways and wind.
Some debris may be discarded or lost overboard from boats.
After it reaches the deep sea, it is far too expensive and impractical to locate and retrieve
these items.
The best solution is to reduce our reliance upon single-use, throw away items.
Recycling, reusing, and properly disposing of trash items keeps litter from ever entering
the ocean.
MBARI researchers hope that this study will help increase awareness of the growing problem
of man-made debris in all parts of the ocean.
This is Kyra Schlining at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.