<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version rmj.rmm.rup.rpr">
<TITLE>Deep-ocean seafloor islands of plastics</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<!-- Converted from text/rtf format -->
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Science </FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial"> 05 Jun 2020:<BR>
Vol. 368, Issue 6495, pp. 1055<BR>
DOI: 10.1126/science.abc1510 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=6 FACE="Arial">Deep-ocean seafloor islands of plastics</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">David Mohrig</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=5 FACE="Arial">Summary</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">One of the most striking images of ocean pollution are the patches or islands of floating plastic debris, concentrated in open-ocean gyres (</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">1</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">) and large enough to be seen from space. These concentrations of plastics on the ocean surface were first recognized in the early 1970s (</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">2</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">). Even with the impressive size of these patches, mass-balance estimates for ocean-borne plastics pointed toward a sink. That sink has recently been shown to be deposition on the deep seafloor (</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">3</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">). On page 1140 of this issue, Kane</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Arial">et al.</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial"> document the occurrence of enriched zones or islands of plastic debris that accumulate on the seafloor of the deep ocean (</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">4</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">).</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">//////////////////////////////////////////////////</FONT></SPAN></B><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Science </FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial"> 05 Jun 2020:<BR>
Vol. 368, Issue 6495, pp. 1140-1145<BR>
DOI: 10.1126/science.aba5899 </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=6 FACE="Arial">Seafloor microplastic hotspots controlled by deep-sea circulation</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Ian A. Kane</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">1</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">,</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">*</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">, Michael A. Clare</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">2</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">, Elda Miramontes</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">3</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">,</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">4</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">, Roy Wogelius</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">1</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">, James J. Rothwell</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">5</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">, Pierre Garreau</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">6</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">, Florian Pohl</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><A HREF="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6495/1140?utm_campaign=toc_sci-mag_2020-06-04&et_rid=34815706&et_cid=3352260"><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-us"><SUP><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">7</FONT></SUP></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial"> </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=5 FACE="Arial">Not just settling</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">What controls the distribution of microplastics on the deep seafloor? Kane</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><I></I></SPAN><I><SPAN LANG="en-us"> <FONT FACE="Arial">et al.</FONT></SPAN></I><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial"> show that the answer to that question is more complicated than particles simply settling from where they are found on the sea surface (see the Perspective by Mohrig). Using data that they collected off the coast of Corsica, the authors show that thermohaline-driven currents can control the distribution of microplastics by creating hotspots of accumulation, analogous to their role in causing focused areas of seafloor sediment deposition. Such currents also supply oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea benthos, so deepsea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="es"><FONT SIZE=5 FACE="Arial">Abstract</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Although microplastics are known to pervade the global seafloor, the processes that control their dispersal and concentration in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Here, we show that thermohaline-driven currents, which build extensive seafloor sediment accumulations, can control the distribution of microplastics and create hotspots with the highest concentrations reported for any seafloor setting (190 pieces per 50 grams). Previous studies propose that microplastics are transported to the seafloor by vertical settling from surface accumulations; here, we demonstrate that the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of microplastics are strongly controlled by near-bed thermohaline currents (bottom currents). These currents are known to supply oxygen and nutrients to deep-sea benthos, suggesting that deep-sea biodiversity hotspots are also likely to be microplastic hotspots.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="es"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
<div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br /> <table style="border-top: 1px solid #D3D4DE;">
<tr>
<td style="width: 55px; padding-top: 18px;"><a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank"><img src="https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-round-orange-animated-no-repeat-v1.gif" alt="" width="46" height="29" style="width: 46px; height: 29px;" /></a></td>
<td style="width: 470px; padding-top: 17px; color: #41424e; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Libre de virus. <a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank" style="color: #4453ea;">www.avast.com</a> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<a href="#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2" width="1" height="1"> </a></div></BODY>
</HTML>