The role of oceanographic processes and sedimentological settings on the deposition of microplastics in marine sediment: Icelandic waters

Loughlin, Christine; Marques Mendes, Ana R.; Morrison, Liam; Morley, Audrey

The role of oceanographic processes and sedimentological settings on the deposition of microplastics in marine sediment: Icelandic waters

2021

Loughlin, Christine | Marques Mendes, Ana R. | Morrison, Liam | Morley, Audrey

The global distribution of microplastic debris on the sea floor poses an increasing risk to marine organisms and ecosystems. Here, we present a distribution analysis of microplastics collected from eight marine multicores recovered from the Iceland continental shelf and surrounding areas at water depth between 241 and 1628 m. We report a total of 306 microplastics from the size range > 250 μm −5 mm, of which all were fibers. Microplastic numbers range between 0.119 and 0.768 per gram of dry sediments. In the analysis we assess the potential role of oceanic surface and bottom water currents, organic content, and sediment type on the distribution, deposition, and burial of microplastics in marine sediments. Our results provide the first record of microplastic pollution of marine sediments from the Iceland continental shelf and identify Atlantic Cod feeding and breeding grounds as potential hot spot for the accumulation of marine debris.

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