Plastic has been found at the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean
On the lowest depth ever recorded , a Texas found something he could have found in the gutter of nearly any street in the world- plastic.
Our waste has been found at the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean.
A retired naval officer, Victor Vescovo, made the discovery as he descended nearly 6.8 miles to a point in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench that is the deepest place on Earth.
His diver went 52 feet lower than the previous deepest descent in the trench in 1960.
The retired naval officer found undiscovered species including shrimp-like anthropods and translucent “sea pigs” during four hours exploring the sea bed. He also saw man made rubbish – including a plastic bag, sweet wrappers and angular metal objects – in a place no human had ever been before.
“It was very disappointing to see obvious human contamination of the deepest point in the ocean,” Mr Vescovo said.
Chief expedition scientist Dr Alan Jamieson said: “It is not often we see something that is so extraordinary that it leaves us speechless. Amongst many other rare and unique observations, the stalked ascidean was a really significant moment.”
Scientists have previously found traces of fibres and plastics in the stomach of the creatures living in the Mariana Trench.
During the dive, which was one of four in the area, the submarine collected samples from the ground floor, which will be analysed to see if it holds the answer to some scientists’ questions.
According to the United Nations, plastic waste has reached epidemic proportions in the world’s oceans, with an estimated 100 million tonnes dumped in the sea.
