Overview
- A peer-reviewed PLOS One paper published Sept. 16, 2026 reports that ROV dives in July–August 2025 documented 29 identifiable man-made items on the canyon floor, 27 of them plastic, at depths between about 1,120 and 3,820 meters.
- The recorded objects included food packaging (notably a Mi Goreng noodle packet at 1,920 meters), nylon rope with a hook, a rubber boot, plastic bags and a cup, and litter was concentrated in canyon channels where topography traps sinking material.
- On one measured dive researchers recorded a litter density of fewer than three pieces per kilometer, which is lower than many coastal canyons, but they warn the ROV imagery likely missed small or buried fragments so totals are underestimates.
- Scientists say the types of debris point to offshore sources, especially fishing and other vessel activity, though exact provenance can’t be proven from imagery and sampling limits the team faced.
- The expedition also recorded about 40 possibly new species and observed animals colonizing debris, and researchers plan broader surveys of Argentine canyons to assess how widespread the problem is and what ecological effects may follow.