The Amount of Trash at the Bottom of the Deep Sea Will Shock You
Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) found trash at the bottom of the deep sea. They were piloting a remotely operated submarine as part of their research miles beneath the surface and the amount of junk down there is… sad.
Modern humans are a pretty wasteful species. We consume and consume and consume, our appetite for new and better unchecked. With all that consumption, of course, comes waste. And we have a LOT of waste.
“Too often, MBARI’s advanced underwater robots encounter trash,” the researchers wrote. “Even miles beneath the ocean’s surface we find garbage, much of it plastic.”
Plastic, as you no doubt are aware, is one of the biggest issues we face. It’s everywhere, from the deepest depths of the ocean to the clouds in the sky. It’s in our food and in our water. Micro and macro, plastic is a scourge.
“Plastic pollution puts deep-sea animals at risk,” the MBARI team explained. “On the seafloor, bags and other plastic trash can smother marine life. In the midwater, drifting debris can entangle or choke animals or damage their delicate structures.”
While there are indeed a couple of people making real strides in cleaning up the mess we’ve made, the only real solution is to stop the bleeding.
“To protect the amazing animals of the deep, we need to stem the tide of plastic pollution,” the researchers said. “Single-use plastic items – like water bottles, takeout containers, coffee lids, straws, and shopping bags – make up a large percent of plastic waste. By refusing plastic packaging and choosing reusable alternatives, we can make a significant dent in ocean plastic pollution.”
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