A study conducted by the Ocean Research Institute Okeanos, from the University of the Azores, identified marine plastic litter in the coastal zones of two islands of the Azores archipelago. The investigation revealed that this litter originates from the fishing industry and comes mainly from the United States and Canada.
The study analyzed the presence of plastics in the coastal zone, focusing on materials related to fishing activity. The results indicate that there is a significant import of plastic waste into Azorean waters, transport that is facilitated by the North Atlantic sea currents.
This phenomenon is not exclusive to the Azores, since there is evidence of long-distance marine litter transport in several regions of the North Atlantic. The investigation contributes to a better understanding of how plastic waste travels through the oceans and affects coastal ecosystems distant from their sources of origin.
