Ocean Science Center, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2012 May;64(5):966-73. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.02.015. Epub 2012 Mar 3.
A deep-sea trawl survey of the Northern Gulf of Mexico has documented the abundance and diversity of human-generated litter and natural detrital plant material, from the outer margin of the continental shelf out to the Sigsbee abyssal plain. Plastics were the most frequently encountered type of material. Litter and debris were encountered more frequently in the eastern than in the western GoM. Land-derived plant material was located primarily within the head of the Mississippi Canyon, whereas ocean-derived plant material was spread evenly throughout the NE GoM. Human discards were principally from ships offshore. Some of the material was contained in metal cans that sank to the sea floor, probably in order to conform to international agreements that prohibit disposal of toxic material and plastics. The Mississippi Canyon was a focal point for litter, perhaps due to topography, currents or proximity to shipping lanes.
一项对墨西哥湾北部的深海拖网调查记录了从大陆架外缘到西格比深海平原的人类产生的垃圾和天然碎屑植物材料的丰富度和多样性。塑料是最常遇到的材料类型。在东墨西哥湾比在西墨西哥湾更容易遇到垃圾和碎片。陆地来源的植物材料主要位于密西西比峡谷的头部，而海洋来源的植物材料则均匀分布在东北墨西哥湾。人类丢弃的物品主要来自近海的船只。有些材料装在金属罐中沉到海底，可能是为了遵守禁止处理有毒物质和塑料的国际协议。密西西比峡谷是垃圾的焦点，可能是由于地形、水流或靠近航道。
