Before the beginning of sampling in the Pacific waste vortex, the scientists have been sampling in the North Atlantic for 22 years. From 1986 to 2008, they dragged the 6100 plankton nets along the sea surface. The images show the sampling in the North Atlantic. During an autopsy of a trigger fish, which was caught with the net, 47 plastic fragments were found in its stomach.
Photos: SEA, SEA - David M. Lawrence, Location: North Atlantic
The largest concentration found was 580,000 plastic particles per square kilometer. There have been no great changes during the years, for example in the North Pacific, although global plastic production and the amount of discarded plastic have increased significantly during the past decades. * measured by the Sea Education Association from 1986 to 2008. Source: "Modified from Law 2010, www.sciencexpress.org
Photo: Kara Lavendar Law