A study carried out on the Azores islands detected marine litter decades old originating from the United States and Canada. The research focused on the coastal zones of the islands of Faial and Pico.
1577 items of marine litter were collected and recorded during the study. The litter found included materials that had traveled for decades across the Atlantic Ocean until reaching the Azorean coasts.
This type of research allows a better understanding of sea currents and the patterns of plastic waste transport in the ocean. The Azores islands, due to their location in the Atlantic, function as a natural collection point for this type of litter coming from other continents.
The study results demonstrate the global dimension of the plastic problem in the oceans and how waste can cross great distances over many years.
