Ten times more plastic is washing up on the shores of remote South Atlantic islands than a decade ago, new research shows.

The findings show for the first time that plastic pollution on some remote South Atlantic beaches is approaching levels seen in industrialised North Atlantic coasts.

"Three decades ago these islands, which are some of the most remote on the planet, were near-pristine," explains lead author Dr David Barnes from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

"Plastic waste has increased a hundred-fold in that time, it is now so common it reaches the seabed. We found it in plankton, throughout the food chain and up to top predators such as seabirds."

Dr Barnes, whose team's work was published in the journal Current Biology, explains the largest concentration of plastic was found on beaches.


Image: Plastic has been found on the seabed near Ascension Island. Pic: David Barnes/BAS

"In 2018 we recorded up to 300 items per metre of shoreline on the East Falkland and St Helena - this is ten times higher than recorded a decade ago.

"Understanding the scale of the problem is the first step towards helping business, industry and society tackle this global environmental issue."

Plastic causes many problems for animals including entanglement, poisoning and starvation through ingestion.

Some of the areas where the scientists saw the rise in plastics are established or proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Andy Schofield, biologist, from the RSPB, who was involved in this research, said: "These islands and the ocean around them are sentinels of our planet’s health.

"It is heart-breaking watching albatrosses trying to eat plastic thousands of miles from anywhere.

Image: Up to 300 plastic items per metre were found on St Helena. Pic: David Barnes/BAS

"This is a very big wake up call. Inaction threatens not just endangered birds and whale sharks, but the ecosystems many islanders rely on for food supply and health."

Data was collected during four research trips between 2013 and 2018 on a BAS research ship.

A team of researchers from ten organisations sampled the water surface, water column and seabed, surveyed beaches and examined more than 2,000 animals across 26 different species.

The amount of plastic reaching these remote regions has increased at all levels, from the shore to the seafloor.

More than 90% of beached debris was plastic, and the volume of this debris is the highest recorded in the last decade.

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