The first study to investigate microplastics around Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands – two of the most remote locations in the South Atlantic Ocean – has found levels of contamination comparable with the waters around the UK.
The first study to investigate microplastics around Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands – two of the most remote locations in the South Atlantic Ocean – has found levels of contamination comparable with the waters around the UK.
The research, led by Dr Dannielle Green of Anglia Ruskin University, involved sampling at 11 sites on the Falkland Islands and six sites on Ascension Island, as well as locations in Northern Ireland (Strangford Lough) and South West England (Plymouth Sound).
The study, the results of which have been published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, found high levels of microplastic litter at every site sampled around Ascension Island and the Falklands, with the results including microfibres such as nylon and polyester.
Read more at Anglia Ruskin University
