Marine plastic pollution is an identified contaminant of emerging concern, with expected increases in contamination levels if plastic production projections eventuate. Scientists, managers and the public are increasingly interested in understanding the status and temporal trends of plastic contamination in the marine environment and specifically the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Presented in this study is the first temporal assessment of plastic contamination in the surface waters of the GBR, Australia. This was accomplished by conducting replicate surface seawater samples (n=66) adjacent to the SS Yongala shipwreck (central GBR), in Bindal sea country, between 2016 and 2019 using a neuston net. The processing workflow included a stringent protocol involving density flotation, filtration, visual identification and sizing of putative plastics using stereomicroscopy, and chemical characterisation using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Overall, a total of 533 plastic items were identified and confirmed as plastic, with plastics detected in every single replicate tow, bar one. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common polymers present, and were comprised of macro-, meso- and microplastic fragments and fibres. Concentrations of plastic fluctuated across the three years, with spikes related to wind-speed and extreme weather events. However, overall plastic trends did not significantly increase or alter throughout the study period. This study reveals the chronic presence of plastic debris in the surface waters of the central GBR and highlights the need for long-term monitoring of the marine environment for plastic contamination.

Over the past decades, the proliferation of plastics has rapidly become a global problem affecting all oceans. With 80% of plastics in the sea originating from land, this pollution highlights the interactions between our daily lives and the ocean, and reinforces the need for a transition to an economy that is more respectful of the planet. During the Tara Mediterranean expedition in 2014, the schooner crisscrossed the Mare nostrum to study the interaction of plastics with plankton, and biodiversity in general. First edifying observation: of the 2000 samples taken during the expedition from 350 different sites, all contained plastic fragments.

Data contains a time series of plastic content at the surface of the western North Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea from 1986 to 2008. The highest concentration of plastic debris was observed in subtropical latitudes and associated with the observed large-scale convergence in surface currents predicted by Ekman dynamics.

This project monitored plastics at the four-bays area on Heard Island and at Sandell Bay on Macquarie Island. It characterised plastics by infra-red spectroscopy both from the beach collection and small pieces from fur-seal stomachs and cormorant boluses. The aim was to assess human impact on the ocean by measuring plastic abundance and type.

The primary goal of this project is to use field sampling and mathematical modelling to document the distribution of plastic in the ocean, on the coast and in the nearshore environment generated by 6-8 major urban centers and surrounding areas that have been identified as having significant waste mismanagement or losses into the marine environment. However, since this projects inception we have expanded the number of countries surveyed. This research will allow for empirical validation of waste losses as projected by a recent global estimate of plastic losses into the world’s oceans.

This study estimated the concentration of marine plastics in waters around Australia using surface Neuston and Manta net tows. Data was collected during seven transit voyages aboard Australian vessels. The study undertook three consecutive 15-minute net tows at 57 locations. The 839 marine plastics recorded during the study were predominantly small fragments (i.e. ‘‘microplastics’’, median length = 2.8 mm, mean length = 4.9 mm) resulting from the breakdown of larger objects made of polyethylene and polypropylene (e.g. packaging and fishing items).

형태별로 분류된 일회용 플라스틱 해안쓰레기의 개수 양과 밀도에 대한 장기분석

형태별로 분류된 일회용 플라스틱 해안쓰레기의 개수 양과 밀도에 대한 장기분석

Over the past decades, the proliferation of plastics has rapidly become a global problem affecting all oceans. With 80% of plastics in the sea originating from land, this pollution highlights the interactions between our daily lives and the ocean, and reinforces the need for a transition to an economy that is more respectful of the planet. During the Tara Mediterranean expedition in 2014, the schooner crisscrossed the Mare nostrum to study the interaction of plastics with plankton, and biodiversity in general. First edifying observation: of the 2000 samples taken during the expedition from 350 different sites, all contained plastic fragments.

Concentrations of plastic additive chemicals were taken from peer-reviewed literature. Only studies that mentioned the chemicals as plastic additives were included. Studies that measured plastic additives in marine plastic debris, marine organisms, marine sediments and/or seawater were included.