Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, U.S.A..
Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, U.S.A.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Jan;174:113047. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113047. Epub 2021 Dec 3.
Anthropogenic debris has been reported in all studied marine environments, including the deepest parts of the sea. Finding areas of accumulation and methods of transport for debris are important to determine potential impacts on marine life. This study analyzed both sediment cores and Remotely Operated Vehicle video to determine the density and distribution of debris, including both micro- and macroplastics, in Norfolk and Baltimore canyons. The average microplastic density in Norfolk Canyon sediment was 37.30 plastic particles m within the canyon and 21.03 particles m on the adjacent slope, suggesting that microplastics could accumulate within submarine canyons. In video transects from both Norfolk and Baltimore canyons, the largest amounts of macroplastic were recorded near the canyon heads. Our findings contribute to a growing evidence base that canyons and their associated benthic invertebrate communities are important repositories and conduits for debris to the deep sea.
已在所有研究的海洋环境中报告了人为碎片，包括海洋最深处。发现碎片的堆积区域和运输方法对于确定对海洋生物的潜在影响很重要。本研究分析了沉积物岩芯和遥控潜水器视频，以确定诺福克和巴尔的摩峡谷中碎片的密度和分布，包括微塑料和大塑料。在诺福克峡谷沉积物中，平均每立方米微塑料密度为 37.30 个塑料颗粒，在峡谷相邻的斜坡上为 21.03 个颗粒，表明微塑料可能在海底峡谷内积累。在来自诺福克和巴尔的摩峡谷的视频横切面上，在峡谷头部附近记录到的大塑料数量最多。我们的研究结果为越来越多的证据基础做出了贡献，即峡谷及其相关的底栖无脊椎动物群落是深海中碎片的重要储存库和输送渠道。
