1. Introduction
Plastics and other man-made litter at sea has grown drastically
as a scientific, popular and financial issue across the last few
decades from the first reports at sea (Carpenter et al., 1972).
Gregory et al. (1984) showed that various plastics and oils were
even accumulating in part of the Southern Ocean. Over the last few
decades there have been surveys of stranding debris on many
remote island shores and some repeat observations showed drastic
increases over just a decade (Ryan and Moloney,1993). Thiswas not
just a problem of the ocean surface and shorelines; considerable
amounts were sinking onto the continental shelf seabed and even
deeper (Galgani et al., 2000). Evidence emerged that plastics could
not only choke and starve (through accumulation in stomachs)
different types of wildlife, but also transport a wide variety of
organisms around the planet, potentially transporting harmful and
non-indigenous species (Barnes, 2002). Most early literature on the
global spread of plastic into the environment concerned large
fragments but more recently studies have examined degradation
and the build up of billions of microplastic fragments in sediments
worldwide (Thompson et al., 2004). The current study aimed to
investigate the frequency of plastic pieces on the ocean surface
(large) and seabed (large and small fragments) in the most remote
areas of the Southern Ocean.
1. IntroductionPlastics and other man-made litter at sea has grown drasticallyas a scientific, popular and financial issue across the last fewdecades from the first reports at sea (Carpenter et al., 1972).Gregory et al. (1984) showed that various plastics and oils wereeven accumulating in part of the Southern Ocean. Over the last fewdecades there have been surveys of stranding debris on manyremote island shores and some repeat observations showed drasticincreases over just a decade (Ryan and Moloney,1993). Thiswas notjust a problem of the ocean surface and shorelines; considerableamounts were sinking onto the continental shelf seabed and evendeeper (Galgani et al., 2000). Evidence emerged that plastics couldnot only choke and starve (through accumulation in stomachs)different types of wildlife, but also transport a wide variety oforganisms around the planet, potentially transporting harmful andnon-indigenous species (Barnes, 2002). Most early literature on theglobal spread of plastic into the environment concerned largefragments but more recently studies have examined degradationand the build up of billions of microplastic fragments in sedimentsworldwide (Thompson et al., 2004). The current study aimed toinvestigate the frequency of plastic pieces on the ocean surface(large) and seabed (large and small fragments) in the most remoteareas of the Southern Ocean.
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