In search for the sources of plastic marine litter that contaminates the Easter Island Ecoregion.

ABSTRACT: Subtropical gyres are the oceanic regions where plastic litter accumulates over long timescales, exposing surrounding oceanic islands to plastic contamination, with potentially severe consequences on marine life. Islands' exposure to such contaminants, littered over long distances in marine or terrestrial habitats, is due to the ocean currents that can transport plastic over long ranges. Here, this issue is addressed for the Easter Island ecoregion (EIE). High-resolution ocean circulation models are used with a Lagrangian particle-tracking tool to identify the connectivity patterns of the EIE with industrial fishing areas and coastline regions of the Pacific basin. Connectivity patterns for "virtual" particles either floating (such as buoyant macroplastics) or neutrally-buoyant (smaller mi

SUBMITTER: Gennip SJV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6927966 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature