Deep-sea vents show microplastics infiltration, study finds

A KRIBB–KIOST study found microplastics contaminating over 90% of deep-sea molluscs living on hydrothermal vents deeper than 2,000 metres, with Indian Ocean samples nearly 15 times more polluted than those from the southwestern Pacific; most plastics were polystyrene, suggesting coastal pollution and riverine inputs are delivering microplastics even to Earth's deepest ecosystems and underscoring the need for deep-sea monitoring and conservation policies.