Scientists issue dire warning after disturbing discovery made at the bottom of the ocean: 'Not a single inch of it is clean'
Scientists have even found trash at the very bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.
As Universitat de Barcelona shared, an international team of researchers found 167 items at the bottom of the Calypso Deep, the deepest point of the Mediterranean Sea that is around 3.2 miles below the water level.
According to the report, 148 of the items were marine debris, while the other 19 are thought to be of human origin. The experts said this is one of the highest concentrations on record of trash found in the great depths of the sea.
The researchers sent a manned submarine into the waters off the southwest coast of Greece, and images were taken and then studied by the team. Miquel Canals, a professor at the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics at the Universitat de Barcelona, said that among the items found were full bags of rubbish, with evidence that these were dropped by boats.
In addition to being deplorable, inappropriate dumping of rubbish can have severe negative impacts on ecosystems — and that's especially true in oceans and seas.
Creatures can get caught up in discarded fishing nets, ingest plastic waste, and even be buried by items that are large enough.
What's more, depending on the type of debris dropped in the ocean, it could release toxins that can impact the health of marine animals.
"Unfortunately, as far as the Mediterranean is concerned, it would not be wrong to say that 'not a single inch of it is clean,'" Canals said.
Because Calypso Deep is set within the Hellenic Trench, it's an ideal location to trap waste that has been carried by ocean currents. Since humans have such limited access to this area, clean-up efforts are near impossible, so it's likely these items could remain in the area for decades and cause damage to the ecosystem all the while.
Do you think America has a plastic waste problem?
Definitely
Only in some areas
Not really
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
First and foremost, we need to be careful about how we deal with waste materials. Understanding your recycling options means plastic, paper, and glass can be processed properly and even given a second life — and stop them from ending up in the sea.
According to Our World in Data, "one to two million tonnes of plastic [around 1.1 to 2.2 million tons] enter our oceans yearly," so reducing our use of this material — especially single-use items — can make a real difference.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Happy anniversary, Mariner 4! NASA probe got 1st-ever up-close look at Mars 60 years ago today
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. "That Mars is habitable by beings of some sort or other is as certain as it is uncertain what these beings may be," wrote Percival Lowell in the early 20th century. While the theories of this well-heeled amateur astronomer might seem fanciful when viewed from 2025, given what was known at the time, a large percentage of the public found Lowell's theories about an inhabited Mars not just credible, but likely. Lowell went so far as to theorize that the planet was straddled by canals, designed and executed by hyper-intelligent beings, that would carry water from the poles to the equator of the apparently arid planet. While other astronomers had their doubts, popular notions of Mars as a colder and drier near-twin of Earth persisted for almost a half century longer, well into the 1960s. In 1953, Wernher von Braun, who would go on to design NASA's giant Saturn V moon rocket, wrote a seminal work called "The Mars Project,' the first comprehensive look at how to send people to the Red Planet. The centerpiece was a number of huge, winged gliders that would land astronauts on Mars by navigating what was then thought to be an atmosphere perhaps half the density of Earth's. More generally, contemporary maps of Mars were still based on observations from telescopes like Lowell's 24-inch refractor up to Mount Palomar's 200-inch giant reflector. But even that latter monster showed only a shimmering red blob of a planet with shifting, indistinct imagery. In short, in the mid-20th century, our understanding of Mars was still as much intuition and imagination as fact. That all changed 60 years ago on July 14, 1965, when a small spacecraft sped by the planet at a distance of just 6,118 miles (9,846 kilometers). After the 22 low-resolution TV images made it back to Earth, the Martian empire dreamed of by Lowell and fiction authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs were smashed into red dust. Some of NASA's earliest planetary missions, Mariners 3 and 4 were planned and executed by a group of pioneering scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and its associated NASA field center, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). NASA was a brand-new agency when the planning for the first Mars flyby was begun a few years earlier, but the core science team had been working together at Caltech for years, and included one of the newest additions to the geology faculty — Bruce Murray, who would later become the fifth director of JPL. Other Caltech professors on the Mariner Mars team were Robert Sharp and Gerry Neugebauer, professors of geology, and Robert Leighton and Victor Neher, both professors of physics. Despite the impressive intellect brought to bear, the project was, by today's standards, a plunge into the unknown. The combined Caltech and JPL team had little spaceflight experience to guide them. There had been just one successful flight beyond lunar orbit — Mariner 2's dash past Venus in 1962 — to build upon. There was no Deep Space Network to track and command the spacecraft, and navigating to Venus was less challenging than the voyage to Mars, which was almost twice as long — some 325 million miles (523 million km). And while the Mariner design was ultimately quite successful, at the time, flying machines in the harsh environment of space was in its infancy. Most failed to achieve their goals. Incredibly, the probe was originally designed, like the Venus-bound Mariner 2 that had recently returned copious "squiggly-line' data from that planet, without a camera. Leighton took exception to this, realizing that a lot of valuable data would be gleaned from visual imagery. He had a long history in optical astronomy and was not about to pass up this opportunity to get a close look at Mars. He also understood a more human side of the mission: Images of the planet could forge a powerful connection between planetary science and the public. Mariner 4 had a twin, Mariner 3, which launched on Nov. 5, 1964. The Atlas rocket that boosted it clear of the atmosphere functioned perfectly (not always the case, given its high failure rate in that era), but the fairing in which Mariner 3 rode became snagged, and the spacecraft, unable to collect sunlight on its solar panels, died within hours, drifting into a heliocentric orbit. After a hurried fix, Mariner 4 launched three weeks later on Nov. 28 with a redesigned fairing. The probe deployed as planned and began the long journey to Mars. But there was more drama in store: The primitive guidance system, oriented by a photocell device that was intended to acquire and track the bright star Canopus, became confused — both by other stars of similar brightness and also by a cloud of dust and paint flecks ejected when the spacecraft deployed. Ultimately, the tracker was able to find Canopus and the journey continued without incident. This star-tracking technology, along with an instrument-laden scan platform and various other design features, was central to planetary missions for decades. Just over seven months later, Mars was in the crosshairs. On July 14, 1965, Mariner's science instruments were activated. These included a magnetometer to measure magnetic fields, a Geiger counter to measure radiation, a cosmic-ray telescope, a cosmic dust detector, and the television camera. This last device had caused no end of consternation. At the time, TV cameras used fragile glass tubes and, with their associated electronics, were slightly smaller than dishwashers. Space-capable TV imagers were not available, and few people had thought to even try designing one. Leighton's team spent countless hours coming up with a low-resolution, slow-scan Vidicon tube — a glass vacuum tube aimed through a toughened telescope — that could withstand the violence of launch and the harsh temperature variations in space. Just a few hours after the science package was put to work, the TV camera began acquiring images. About nine hours later, with the spacecraft heading away from Mars, the on-board tape recorder, which had stored the data from the primitive camera, initiated playback and transmitted the raw images to Earth. And what images they were. The first views arrived at JPL shortly after midnight on July 15. These were initially represented by numeric printouts that had to be interpreted into black-and-white images, but the imaging team was impatient. They cut the numbered paper into strips, pasted them onto a backboard, and played "paint by numbers" with grease markers to create an eerily accurate first look. Once the computer-processed photographs arrived, though they were soft and indistinct, and spectroscopic and other measurements were still inexact, the combined data turned our notions about the true nature of the Red Planet on their head. Within hours, Mars had descended from Lowell's fever dreams to cold, harsh reality. Quick calculations told the story — Mars was a frigid, desert world, and those who still held to Lowell's dreams of a possible Martian empire had to concede defeat. The planet was a moon-like desert, a place of intense cratering and wide empty plains. The final blow came shortly after the flyby, when Mariner directed its radio signal through the limb of the Martian atmosphere. The atmospheric density was found to be about 1/1000th that of Earth. For the dreamers, Mars died on that day in 1965. Related Stories: — Mariner 4: NASA's 1st successful Mars mission — Mars: Everything you need to know about the Red Planet — Mars missions: A brief history But for the gathered Caltech team savoring the fuzzy pictures from Mariner 4's sprint, this was a victory. After the discovery of Venus' true nature, when a planet thought to be a swampy, humid world was revealed as a hellish place of intense pressure and searing temperatures, Mars seemed almost welcoming. And the inclusion of a TV camera on the mission added a human touch that transcended the numbers, bringing the fourth planet into living rooms worldwide. When discussing the mission a few years later, Leighton related one touching letter he received from, of all people, a milkman. It read, "I'm not very close to your world, but I really appreciate what you are doing. Keep it going." A soft-spoken Leighton said of the sentiment, "A letter from a milkman… I thought that was kind of nice." After its voyage past Mars, Mariner 4 maintained intermittent communication with JPL and returned data about the interplanetary environment for two more years. But by the end of 1967, the spacecraft had suffered close to 100 micrometeoroid impacts and was out of fuel. The mission was officially ended on Dec. 21. Since then, a multitude of spacecraft have rocketed Marsward from a variety of nations. The path to Mars is still challenging, and the U.S. leads in successes. From the Viking Mars orbiters and landers of the 1970s through the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, which are still operating today, the Red Planet has crept from the dreadful waste seen by Mariner 4 to a place once covered in shallow oceans and with a possibly temperate atmosphere. And while we have never found any signs of Percival Lowell's high-society Martians, we may soon live in their stead.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Scientists alarmed after finding whale in heartbreaking predicament: 'I would temper expectations for this case'
Scientists discovered a young, North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Cape Cod Times reported. While the Center for Coastal Studies' Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team has attempted to free the whale from the debris, he –– and his species –– remain in danger. Scientists first noticed the whale in December 2024, according to the Cape Cod Times, when they found ropes constraining his jaw and buoys following him. The team was unable to rescue the whale at that time, and they did not spot him again until three months later in April. Using a grappling hook, the team removed some of the fishing gear from the whale on April 10, but full disentanglement is challenging due to the techniques and conditions required. The items entangling the whale are close to his body, so the team has to make close contact with him, which "whales generally do not like," explained MAER director Scott Landry. The entanglement has not prevented the whale from moving or eating, according to Landry, but "he is starting to show signs of poor health." While he could continue to live with the entanglement, the debris could embed into the whale without intervention. "I would temper expectations for this case," Landry said. This whale is not the first of its kind to suffer entanglement. Entanglement threatens North Atlantic right whales as a leading cause of death, according to NOAA Fisheries, and the species is one of the most endangered whales. The Endangered Species Act has included North Atlantic right whales since 1970, and only about 370 individuals exist in the wild. Plastic pollution increases the risk of entanglement for whales and other marine wildlife. The world produces about 386 tons of plastic waste annually, Our World in Data reported, and around 0.5% of this waste ends up in the ocean. Plastic waste and fishing gear entangle marine animals, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, according to NOAA Fisheries. Such debris can drown or starve animals by restricting their movement, while other individuals experience infection or exhaustion trying to escape their entanglement. Organizations like the Center for Coastal Studies' Marine Animal Entanglement Response in Cape Cod rescue entangled animals. The group has saved more than 200 whales and marine animals from life-threatening entanglement since its inception in 1984. The Marine Animal Entanglement Response team is authorized by NOAA Fisheries to disentangle marine wildlife. NOAA Fisheries works with organizations around the country to mitigate entanglement, using satellite tracking to monitor entangled animals and developing disentanglement guidelines. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Reducing plastic pollution so less ends up in the ocean can prevent marine wildlife entanglement. Participating in actions like beach cleanups also serves as an opportunity to connect with local groups and efforts making a difference in your community. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Researchers make disturbing discovery about invisible particles invading our bodies: 'These things get into your body ... without your knowledge'
Tiny plastic particles are a big problem. Experts and scientists gathered for a conference that was hosted by Moms Clean Air Force to discuss plastics. We've known about microplastics and their impact on our health for a while, but several studies are showing it's worse than we thought. Global plastic production is increasing with no signs of slowing down. According to Our World in Data, "Plastic production has more than doubled in the last two decades." Unfortunately, very little of this plastic is recycled, due to cost and inadequate recycling systems. Instead, millions of tons of plastic enter landfills and waterways and eventually break down into harmful microplastics. Microplastics are inside us — a participant in this medical study found about half a teaspoon of plastic in her blood. While the full effect of microplastics on the body is still being researched, findings so far have suggested DNA damage, infertility, organ system disruption, and even neurological disorders. Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist, emphasized how increasingly difficult microplastics are to avoid. Whether they're ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through your skin, "these things get into your body, every day, 24-7, without your knowledge," Swan said, per The New Lede. Scientists, politicians, and others gathered in April for an annual summit to address the growing plastic problem. In attendance was Pennsylvania representative Summer Lee, who "announced the launch of an environmental justice caucus in Congress that will aim to address harms caused by plastics manufacturing and pursue solutions," per The New Lede. Do you worry about the longevity of EV batteries? For sure Not really Not at all I've never thought about it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Researchers are working tirelessly to find ways to recycle plastic and create new, sustainable alternatives. From wax worms that eat plastic to hydrothermal liquefaction, there's still time to change the way we deal with plastic waste. As they work to fix plastic pollution at the government level, there's an easy way you can avoid extra exposure to microplastics — use less plastic. Opt for a reusable, stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic bottles. Use reusable fabric or paper grocery bags, rather than store-provided plastic ones. Ditch single-use health and beauty products in favor of sustainable packaging and eco-friendly ingredients. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
