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Description of the Resource

Title
Anticyclonic eddies increase accumulation of microplastic in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Title (original)
Anticyclonic eddies increase accumulation of microplastic in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre
Description
This paper is focused on the assessment of the fate of microplastics in the ocean. It is assumed that the predominant pattern is high accumulation of microplastic in subtropical gyres, therefore the authors studied in situ measurements from the 7th Continent expedition in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, and also combined them with data from satellite observations and models, to show how microplastic concentrations were up to 9.4 times higher in an anticyclonic eddy explored, compared to the cyclonic eddy.
Authors
Laurent Brach, Patrick Deixonne, Marie-France Bernard, Edmée Durand, Marie-Christine Desjean, Emile Perez, Erik van Sebille, Alexandra ter Halle
Publication year
2016
Resource type
Scientific publication
Language
English
Areas of knowledge
Microplastics
Mapping of marine litter
Number of links to resource
1
Other relevant information
Although the sample size is small, this is the first suggestive evidence that mesoscale eddies might trap, concentrate and potentially transport microplastics. As eddies are known to congregate nutrients and organisms, this phenomenon should be considered with regards to the potential impact of plastic pollution on the ecosystem in the open ocean.

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Related Project (1)