It comes as no surprise to researchers that densely-populated beaches in Australia are contaminated with microplastics — but what about our remote coastal areas?

Key points: A new study is looking at the impact of microplastics on South Australia's far west coast

A new study is looking at the impact of microplastics on South Australia's far west coast The research is also focussing on how microplastics in the water affect the organisms that live in it

The research is also focussing on how microplastics in the water affect the organisms that live in it Port Lincoln residents have reported seeing plastic on uninhabited islands off the coast

Australia's remote beaches are rarely surveyed for microplastics, but a new study is looking for the notorious pollutants on South Australia's far west coast.

The region's 400 kilometres of rugged coastline on the edge of the Great Australian Bight is home to just 23,000 people, and researchers from Flinders University believe it to be relatively shielded from the currents that drag rubbish from other parts of the ocean.

South Australia's West Coast is known for its pristine and dramatic shorelines. ( ABC News: Samantha Jonscher )

"We did have a few conversations with local people who were telling us some of the islands off of Port Lincoln, where nobody lives, they've gone there fishing and been shocked to see that the beaches there are covered with plastic," said study leader Karen Burke Da Silva.

"So we don't really know what the situation really is here.

"Maybe we are mistaken about how clean and pure the beaches here look to the naked eye.

"We've also been looking at microplastics in a highly polluted area in the Maldives, and the plastic levels there are just so incredibly high.

"You walk down the beach and all you see is plastics everywhere, so we will have a nice comparison between the highly polluted environment and the more pristine waters of South Australia."

Scientists know that blue mussels can become "infected" with microplastics in lab conditions, but how much do they consume in the wild? ( Supplied: Janet Klein )

Looking for evidence in marine life

Dr Burke Da Silva's study, which is being conducted with honours student Janet Klein, is also focussed on how microplastics in the water affect the organisms that live in it.

"Microplastics are now ubiquitous in the marine environment, but what affect are they having on the organisms that live there?" Dr Burke Da Silva said.

"We wanted to find out how much microplastic is the sand, is in the water, and how much the invertebrate organisms actually take the microplastics up into their bodies.

Karen Burke Da Silva collecting samples. ( Supplied: Janet Klein )

Dr Burke Da Silva and Ms Klein collected 15 samples each of blue mussels, cockles, periwinkles and anemones from every beach they visited.

"Each of these creatures has a slightly different way of feeding," said Dr Burke Da Silva.

"We will count the microplastics and, with our chemistry academics, look at what kind of plastics they are, so we can have an idea of the chemical make up of the plastics in the area.

"We have to actually use a mild acid to essentially get rid of any organic tissue, then get rid of the sand, so it's a separation technique that allows the plastics to float to the surface.

"We do know that blue mussels can accumulate microplastics in their tissues.

"Although most studies have been done in the lab environment exclusively rather than looking at what's happening in the natural environment, we can kind of infect invertebrates with microplastics if you keep them in tanks with very high concentrations tanks where there a large amount of microplastics.

"But if you are in a fairly clean marine environment, how that might be affecting the animal is less well understood."

Filling gaps, creating a baseline

Macquarie University microplastics expert Scott Wilson said Dr Burke Da Silva's work is filling an important gap in research.

"It's really good that Karen and her team are looking at these areas where we don't have that much information," Dr Wilson said.

Sand samples from each location will be taken back to the lab to be analysed for the presence of microplastics. ( Supplied: Janet Klein )

"Generally I'd expect it to be low, but you don't know until you look … and that's what science is about — understanding what's there.

"It's good to know where there isn't much contamination, but it's really the hot spots we want to be able to identify and the work that Karen is doing can fit into that by telling us a bit about what is there and what isn't.

"What we are finding is that it's patchy in terms of where we find high loads, and it has a lot do with currents and local sources so yes — I would expect [the levels on the West Coast] not to be high.

"But then again, you might come across a particular location where there are a lot of microplastics."

Dr Wilson said that even if the study finds very low levels of contamination, that information is still useful.

"Even if they find low amounts, which is good, it's a marker for going forward and you can document potential changes over time … it creates a baseline.

"Its difficult logistically to get to some of those more remote locations and [take samples].

"It's costly to get there, costly to sample, and costly to analyse — that's where the dollars have been limiting us in the past to find out about certain areas.