Huge Plastic Graveyard Lurks at the Bottom of Mediterranean Sea — and Scientists Have One Question

Two of the deepest points in the ocean were littered with massive heaps of plastic packaging, mainly plastic bags.

PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO

Divers exploring the sea floor. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Francisco Davids)

About 0.62 miles west of the Peloponnese coast in Greece, scientists hopped into a high-tech manned submarine called the Limiting Factor to explore the deepest points in the southeastern Mediterranean, the Calypso Deep and the Levant Basin. If they found just a heap or two of marine litter on the floor of these points, it wouldn’t be too surprising, given that they are one of the remotest points of the deep sea, the ones particularly affected by human activities. But what they found on the floor jolted them. Accumulated on the seafloor was an enormous heap of plastic packaging, mainly plastic bags, as described in a study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Plastic debris swimming inside ocean (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Gary Bell)

A cup of cold drink someone dumped from a boat, a snack wrapper, a hat that got carried away by the wind and then dropped down into the water; items like these become accumulated on the seafloor over time, scattering around coasts, surface waters, and shallower bottoms. Deep within these Mediterranean waters of the Ionian Sea, researchers from the University of Barcelona stumbled upon glass, debris, and above all, dense concentrations of plastic packaging. They were shocked, but more than anything else, one aspect bothered them. How did all this plastic waste sink to the sea floor despite being light in weight?

A trove of over 167 objects was discovered, according to Oceanographic Magazine. While most of the objects were made of plastic, some were also made of glass, metal, and paper. 148 items belonged to marine debris, and 19 showed possible anthropogenic origins. Researchers investigated each particular item in detail, like examining clues and evidence on a crime scene. Everything looked suspicious, and anything could reveal a fascinating piece that would help them solve the mystery of all this plastic.

Plastic pollution in ocean (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Loops7)

Miquel Canals, professor at the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, said the source of these materials was likely a mix of marine debris and direct dumping by humans. “Some light waste, such as plastics, comes from the coast, from where it escapes to the Calypso Deep, just 60 kilometres away,” he told the magazine. “Some plastics, such as bags, drift just above the bottom until they are partially or completely buried, or disintegrate into smaller fragments.”

A representative image of a dolphin dropping a plastic bag. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Stuart Westmorland) — Dolphin dropping a plastic bag. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Stuart Westmorland)

“We have also found evidence of the boats’ dumping of bags full of rubbish, as revealed by the pile-up of different types of waste followed by an almost rectilinear furrow,” Canals added. Scientists believe that this study will act as a huge wake-up call for policymakers, manufacturers, and the public to reflect upon the escalating crisis of plastic pollution, also taking further action as required. This study is also a joint effort between scientists, communicators, journalists, and media, which they can use to establish social impact and raise awareness to make the invisible visible. “The problem is there, and it has an enormous scope – even if it is not directly visible,” said Canals. “We should not forget about it.”

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