The Mediterranean Sea has become Europe’s deepest garbage dump, according to a new study. Plastic waste generated by human activities has been discovered in the 5,112-meter-deep (16,770 feet) Calypso Deep, located in the depths of the Ionian Sea. A total of 167 objects, primarily plastics but also including metal drink cans and paper cartons, have been identified at the bottom.
"The dominant litter category by material type is plastics, accounting for 88% of the identified litter items. No interactions have been found between the litter and the rare life forms identified so far in the deep Ionian Sea," the study, published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, revealed.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona used a high-tech manned submarine called Limiting Factor to reach the bottom of the trench. The submarine covered a distance equivalent to 650 meters during a 43-minute stay near the seabed.
The Calypso Deep is situated 60 kilometers west of the Peloponnese coast in Greece, in a region of high seismic activity due to active faults. It is surrounded by steep, stepped terrain with slopes stretching thousands of meters.
The study focused on the inner part of the trench, described as "kidney-shaped," which measures
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