'There seems to be a constant bombardment of anything that floats.'
It's a journey that will likely take around a year and nine months, but that risks bringing not onlybut also invasive marine species to one of Earth's most pristine and untouched landscapes.
A range of small marine invertebrates can reach Antarctica by catching a ride on floating objects like kelp, driftwood, pumice, and plastic. "An increasing abundance of plastics and other human-made debris in the oceans means there are potentially more opportunities for biota to reach Antarctica," says the research's lead author, UNSW's Dr Hannah Dawson.
Unsurprisingly, particles reached the Antarctic coastline fastest from places closest to its shores, with the speediest journeys from Macquarie Island, south of New Zealand.Particles released from Tasmania's coast would take an average of a year and 270 days. However, even very low levels of waste could have devastating impacts if they allowed new, non-native species to establish themselves.
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