Previously, we talked about how plastic substance is capable of accumulating in the Arctic area. Today, we will like to bring you to the Deep Sea.
Generally, the majority of the public believed that plastic pollution cannot be transported too far or too deep in the water. However, it has been proved that plastic can be transported even to the edge of the world – the polar region, which we shared in our previous post.
The Challenger Deep
The deepest area of the world is called the Challenger Deep with a depth of 11,034m. It is located at the Mariana Trench beneath the Pacific Ocean. Due to the extreme environment and technology constrain, humans are unable to fully discover the deepest part of the world. However, history is meant to be made!
Eurythenes Plasticus
In 2014, with the support of WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), a group of researcher from Marine Ecology at Newcastle University has made a massive breakthrough in the study of deep-sea marine ecology (Oceanographic, 2020). During the research, they have discovered a new species and named it Eurythnes Plasticus. The Eurythnes Plasticus was discovered at around 6900m below sea level (Nicolas, 2020). However, what was discovered inside the Eurythnes is what made this study astonishing.
A 0.65mm microfiber was being discovered in the body of the Eurythnes Plasticus. The composition of the microfiber was 80% similar to PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) which can be easily found in our daily life (e.g. household items, clothes). The deeper the sample was collected, the more plastic fibre was discovered (Parker, 2019).
Source: https://youtu.be/QBqQi6xLdww
Moreover, the Mariana Trench is known to be the final sink for debris and it will continue to accumulate in this trench. If this situation becomes worse, the trench will likely become an ocean garbage field.
This discovery shocked the world because plastic pollution has already found its way into the deep-sea area. An area that was previously described as ‘untouchable’ and ‘nature’ that is out of the reach of human beings is now accumulating our trash. Plastic has not only made its way into the food chain but also in the deep ocean.
Deepest Dive by Human
On 29th April 2019, an American explorer Victor Vescovo become the first human with the deepest dive record (10927m) beneath the ocean with a deep submersible (Morelle, 2019). During this remarkable event, Vescovo has the opportunity to observe the deep-sea environment and species with his own eyes. However, one unexpected ‘creature’ caught the eyes of Vescovo–plastic. Vescovo has not just broken the deepest dive Guinness World Records but have also become one of the few humans to witness the plastic pollution under the deep-sea personally.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKXvdyNz6L8
Besides setting a world record, Vescovo’s achievement has further provided direct visual proof for the existence of plastic in the trench. Even the deepest point on Earth is no longer too far or too deep for a plastic. Thus, combining these two significant findings has proven that plastic pollution is no longer a common issue but a global crisis. The findings have provided a new vision for the public to understand the problem. We sincerely hope that every one of us reflects on the issue and make an effort to reduce single-use plastic before any further disaster occurs in our lovely ocean.
Cheers,
Shee Wen & Nicole 
References
Morelle, R. (2019). Mariana Trench: Deepest-ever sub dive finds plastic bag. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48230157
Nicolas, A. (2020). Meet the newly discovered ocean species: Plastic. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/meet-the-newly-discovered-ocean-species-plastic
Oceanographic (2020). Researchers discover new amphipod in the Mariana Trench and name it Eurythenes plasticus, after plastic found in its body. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.oceanographicmagazine.com/news/eurythenes-plasticus/
Parker, S. (2019). Creatures in the deepest trenches of the sea are eating plastic. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/02/deep-sea-creatures-mariana-trench-eat-plastic/