Microplastics – Distribution on the Deep Seafloor

According to a June 5, 2020 Science Magazine story https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140.full researchers with the UK University of Manchester and others “... show that thermohaline-driven currents can control the distribution of microplastics … Previous studies propose that microplastics are transported to the seafloor by vertical settling from surface accumulations; here, we demonstrate that the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of microplastics are strongly controlled by near-bed thermohaline currents (bottom currents). These currents are known to supply oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea benthos, suggesting that deep-sea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots …” #Microplastics