marine pollution

Iron from burning fossil fuels found in the Pacific Ocean

A coal powerplant

New research published in PNAS this week suggests that human-derived iron entering the ocean from burning fossil fuels could have an impact on the global climate, as well as marine life.

New insights into the transportation of microplastics across the deep seafloor

Diagram from the research paper

National Oceanography Centre (NOC) research has revealed for the first time how submarine sediment avalanches can transport microplastics from land into the deep ocean. The study also revealed that these flows are responsible for sorting different types of microplastics – burying some, and moving others vast distances across the sea floor. 

Anthropogenic impact in the deep sea: what is at risk?

Litter recovered from the deep seafloor of the west Mediterranean (Eva Ramirez-Llodra, ICM-CSIS, Barcelona)

An international study conducted during the Census of Marine Life project SYNDEEP has concluded that human activities are increasingly affecting deep-sea habitats, resulting in the potential for biodiversity loss and, with this, the loss of many goods and services provided by deep-sea ecosystems.

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