The Caribbean is renowned globally for its stunning beaches and crystal clear ocean.
However, its islands and the surrounding sea are being contaminated by plastics and other manmade fibres, posing a potential future threat to its diverse marine life and the tourism industry on which its economy depends.
That is according to a new study, the first holistic assessment of marine and land-based plastic pollution in the southern Caribbean and some of the environmental and human factors which might influence its distribution.
The study is the result of sample analysis from a pioneering all-female Round the World sailing mission led by eXXpedition. Samples were collected in late 2019 from the seas and seafloor, and from land-based assessments.