Plastic waste is so widespread in the world’s oceans that it has now found its way to the Arctic Ocean.
A group of scientists called the Arctic Mission used nets with holes smaller than a millimeter to sieve for microplastics in the water. The team will now analyze the samples in labs to determine the current pollution levels in the Arctic.
There are a number of efforts underway to try and address ocean plastic, but it’s estimated more than five trillion pieces of plastic are already floating in the world’s oceans.