Survey reveals plastic 12,800 feet deep off Ecuador as beach waste rises
Plastic pollution is a growing threat to marine environments, with discarded waste reaching from coastlines to the deepest parts of the ocean. Now, a six-year study has revealed how quickly debris can accumulate on a beach in Ecuador, with one monitoring site collecting about 570 grams (1.25 pounds) of debris every week.
The findings, published in Frontiers in Marine Science , also reveal how plastic pollution extends far beyond the shoreline. Researchers discovered discarded bags, food packaging, bottles and fishing gear more than 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean. This is the first documented evidence of plastic pollution in the abyssal depths of the eastern equatorial Pacific, a region where deep-sea debris has been largely unexplored.
The trash left behind
From 2019 to 2025, François Michaud of Paris's Sorbonne University and colleagues collected more than 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of debris from a stretch of beach near Salinas, Ecuador. The 100-square-meter (1,080-square-foot) site accumulated an average of 566 grams (1.25 pounds) of waste every week, although the amount varied considerably. On more than 10 visits, researchers found no visible plastic at all.
Fishing activities were the biggest source of debris, accounting for more than half of the items collected, including discarded or broken nets, fishing lines and buoys. Researchers also found containers that had held grease, fuel and water, as well as other fishing-related waste. The amount of debris collected rose sharply from 2021 onward, reaching its highest level in 2024, when researchers recovered a discarded fishing net weighing around 50 kilograms (110 pounds), the largest item of the haul.
More than 45% of the items were linked to tourism and recreation, including food packaging and disposable containers. These were particularly common after holiday periods, pointing to a link between visitor numbers and the amount of waste reaching the beach. Other items included medical waste, such as syringes, medicine bottles and face masks, particularly in 2021. The team also found small plastic pellets and fragments, evidence that larger pieces of debris were breaking down into smaller particles.
Plastic persists in the deep
To see how far plastic pollution extends beyond the shoreline, researchers also surveyed the seafloor along Ecuador's Pacific coast. In February 2024, a crewed research submersible explored depths of more than 3,900 meters (12,800 feet), revealing plastic debris scattered across the deep ocean floor.
Among the items identified were plastic bags, food containers, packaging and discarded fishing gear, including nets and lines. Some debris was found near cold seeps, where fluids escaping from the seabed support distinctive communities of marine life.
The survey also revealed differences in the condition of debris. While some fishing equipment was heavily degraded, plastic bags and food containers appeared relatively intact, suggesting that plastic can persist in the deep ocean. Unlike the beach, where sunlight, heat and waves can accelerate the breakdown of plastic, the deep seafloor is cold and receives little sunlight, allowing debris to remain there longer.
A shared problem
One of the study's key findings was the similarity between the types of plastic found on the beach and those recorded in the deep ocean. Bags, food containers, bottles and nylon fishing lines appeared in both environments, highlighting how plastic pollution can extend across the marine environment, from the shoreline to the deep seafloor.
Some of the debris also appeared to have traveled a considerable distance. The scientists identified packaging bearing foreign-language labels and trademarks, suggesting that international shipping and regional trade may contribute to the spread of plastic pollution, although the researchers could not establish the precise journey of individual items.
Ocean currents, waves and rivers can carry plastic away from the coast and into the open sea, where it may eventually sink and settle on the seabed. The researchers suggest that currents along Ecuador's Pacific coast could contribute to this transport, although the study did not directly track individual pieces of debris or establish exactly where the deep-sea items originated.
Fishing gear was particularly prominent in both environments, raising concerns that discarded nets and lines could spread beyond coastal waters, threaten marine habitats and entangle wildlife.
The team also observed interactions between plastic and marine life on the beach. Painted ghost crabs were frequently seen carrying plastic fragments into their burrows, raising the possibility that they could mistake the material for food and ingest it. The study did not investigate whether the crabs consumed the plastic or assess any resulting harm, but the observations highlight a potential route through which plastic could affect coastal wildlife.
The findings highlight the need to monitor plastic pollution across both coastal and deep-sea environments, rather than focusing on beaches alone. By revealing plastic debris across Ecuador's shoreline and deep-sea trench, the study provides new evidence of how widespread pollution has become in a part of the Pacific that has received relatively little attention.
Written for you by our author Hannah Bird , edited by Gaby Clark , and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan —this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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