Please select your home edition
Edition
Mackay Boats 728x90 TOP

New data reveals microplastics in world’s remotest ocean

by Volvo Ocean Race 17 May 2018 22:08 PDT
Volvo Ocean Race Leg 7 preliminary microplactics data results © Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race Science Programme found levels of plastic in areas of the Southern Ocean that have never before been tested.

The groundbreaking data is set to be released today (18th May) at the Volvo Ocean Race Ocean Summit, which explores the issues and solutions to the plastic crisis, at the Race stopover in Newport, USA.

The findings show that close to Point Nemo there were between nine and 26 particles of microplastic per cubic metre. As the boats sailed close to Cape Horn, off the tip of South America, measurements increased to 57 particles per cubic metre.

Levels of 45 particles per cubic metre were recorded 452km from Auckland, New Zealand, where the leg began, and only 12 particles per cubic metre were found 1000 km from the finish in stopover city Itajaí. The difference in measurements could be explained by ocean currents carrying the microplastics great distances.

The highest levels of microplastic found so far, 357 particles per cubic metre were found in a sample taken in the South China Sea, east of Taiwan, an area that feeds into the Great Pacific Ocean Gyre.

Dr. Sören Gutekunst of GEOMAR Institute for Ocean Research Kiel, funded by the Cluster of Excellence Future Ocean, analysed the preliminary microplastics data at the laboratory in Kiel, Germany.

He said: "This is the first ever data that the scientific community has been able to analyse from a relatively inaccessible part of our blue planet.

"Unfortunately, it shows how far and wide microplastics have penetrated our vast oceans and that they are now present in what, until now, many have considered to be untouched, pristine waters."

The measurements were collected on the 7,600 nautical mile leg, the longest in the Race, from Auckland to Itajaí on both the Turn the Tide on Plastic and AkzoNobel boats.

The boats also collect other oceanographic data measurements including temperature, CO2, salinity, algae content which gives an indication of levels of ocean acidification.

Anne-Cecile Turner, Sustainability Programme Leader for the Volvo Ocean Race, added: "Such information is extremely valuable as it helps fill in the large gaps in our understanding of how plastic breaks down over a number of years and is spread to the ends of the earth by ocean currents.

"It's also a stark reminder of the pressing need to tackle this plastic crisis head on and governments, businesses and individuals all have a role to play in addressing the problem."

Point Nemo is so far from land that the nearest humans are often astronauts on the International Space Station, which orbits the Earth at a maximum of 258 miles (416km). Meanwhile the nearest inhabited landmass to Point Nemo is over 1,670 miles (2,700km) away.

Jeremy Pochman, Co-Founder and Strategic Director, 11th Hour Racing, Founding Principal Partner of the Volvo Ocean Race Sustainability Programme, said: "For so long, we have treated the oceans as an inexhaustible resource.

?"The data we find here from onboard the boats show that microplastics are found in the most remote places on Earth, a clear sign that all our oceans are under great pressure. "

"This is open-source data, available to the public, and easily used to highlight the dangers of single-use plastic. It is one point of engagement in the conversation about solutions toward a circular economy."

The information comes from the Volvo Ocean Race Science Programme, which has brought together an elite scientific consortium to capture data that will contribute to a better understanding of the world's ocean and climate.

Microplastics are often invisible to the naked eye and can take thousands of years to degrade. By collecting information on their levels, the mission is helping scientists gain insight into the scale of plastic pollution and its impact upon marine life.

Stuart Templar, Director, Sustainability for Volvo Car Group, said: "Volvo Cars is proud to be supporting this innovative research project into the global problem of marine plastic pollution. This latest data shows that the impact of human behaviour has reached the most remote areas of our oceans. The time for inaction is over."

The Volvo Ocean Race Science Programme is funded by Volvo Cars, who are donating €100 from the first 3,000 sales of the new Volvo V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race edition to support the initiative.

The Science Programme is a partnership in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing, the Mirpuri Foundation, and other main partners, Volvo, AkzoNobel, Bluewater, Stena Recycling and Ocean Family Foundation.

Related Articles

The Ocean Race Europe Video Preview
We speak to Phil Lawrence, Peter Rusch & Pip Hare to find out more The Ocean Race Europe will take place between 10 August & 21 September, following a debut event in the summer of 2021. The racing is in IMOCA yachts, the same as the Vendée Globe, but this time with 4 crew and an OBR who will document the action on board. Posted on 8 Jul
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 overall
A weekend marked by strong winds, demanding seas, and top-level racing in Cascais The 6th edition of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy came to a close this Sunday after a weekend marked by strong winds, demanding seas, and top-level racing in Cascais. Posted on 7 Jul
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 Preview
International sailing & ocean conservation unite in Cascais From July 4 to 6, Cascais hosts the biggest sailing regatta of the year with a strong focus on sustainability. The Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy celebrates six years of diversity, competition, and environmental commitment. Posted on 30 Jun
Tschüss 2 - Transatlantic Titans
Line Honours for Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 in the Transatlantic Race 2025 Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has taken Line Honours in the West to East Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of 07 Day 15 Hrs 29 Mins and 10 Secs. Posted on 26 Jun
Tschüss 2 powers ahead in Transatlantic Race
Her nearest rival, some 300 miles astern, is Oliver Kobale's VO65 Sisi Six days into the West-East Transatlantic Race, Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 Tschüss 2, co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has raced over 2,000 miles and is the clear leader for both Monohull Line Honours and the overall IRC win. Posted on 23 Jun
The Ocean Race will return to Itajaí, Brazil
During the 2027 and 2031 around the world races The Ocean Race confirms Itajaí, in Santa Catarina state, in Brazil will once again host the world's most iconic around-the-world yacht race in April, 2027 and again in 2031, in a two-edition hosting partnership. Posted on 16 Jun
Pip Hare joins Canada Ocean Racing
Sailing alongside Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer for The Ocean Race Europe Canada Ocean Racing is excited to announce that British offshore sailor Pip Hare will join their Be Water Positive campaign for the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe. Posted on 30 Apr
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy returns
With the introduction of the high-performance TP52 class The prestigious Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy is set to return for its sixth edition from July 4-6, 2025, promising a thrilling weekend of top-tier sailing in one of Europe's most scenic and challenging maritime locations, Cascais. Posted on 24 Mar
The Ocean Race Europe to make stop in Nice, France
Visiting the Mediterranean coast of France for the first time this summer The Ocean Race Europe, the premiere fully-crewed, offshore sailing race for the foiling IMOCA Class, will visit the Mediterranean coast of France for the first time this summer. Posted on 13 Mar
The Ocean Race Europe will race into Portsmouth
Back in the game for the IMOCA race in the summer of 2025 The Ocean Race Europe, an offshore sailing race for the foiling IMOCA class, will include Portsmouth on the south coast of England, among its six stopovers. Posted on 16 Sep 2024
C-Tech 2021 America's Cup 728x90 BOTTOMBarton Marine Pipe GlandsSwitch One Design