Filipino scientist takes first-ever journey to 3rd-deepest ocean trench, finds plastic

An oceanographer from Philippines and an American explorer became first people to dive into Philippines Trench, third deepest spot on Earth. Dr Deo Florence Onda, who is a microbial oceanologist from University of Philippines Marine Science Institue, and Victor Vescovo from Calan Oceanic were on lookout for mysteries hidden in darkness but inste, y surprisingly discovered plastic during ir exploration. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Onda and Victor travelled to Emden Deep, part of Philippine Trench, which happens to be one of oldest seabeds on Earth, unexplored until a couple of months ago.

At its deepest point, Philippines Trench reaches a depth of 10,540 meters and Emden Deep is portion of trench that exceeds a depth of 6,000 meters. Over a 12-hour period in March, Onda and Victor, dedicated to vancing undersea technology, descended and explored trench, hoping for just a glimpse of life below. However, what greeted m in depths was something that h travelled from above surface. 

Plastic in Emden Deep

Onda and Victor are first people to ever dive into se uncharted waters and oceanographer h reportedly said that he expected to see “scary, crawling things” through windows of submarine. But after a four-hour descent, y found garbage on seafloor. While speaking to CNA, team said that y found plastic bags, food packaging, a teddy bear and even clos. 

Onda said that re was a point where he believed that white material floating in water was a jellyfish. However, after approaching he realised that it was just plastic. He said that due to depth and pressure of environment, he h believed plastic would appear as a small fragment, but y were “so intact as if y just came from supermarket”.

Victor, on or hand, said that amount of human debris found in Emden Deep scattered around in pockets on seabed was “pretty extensive”. He furr informed that in depths where oxygen and sunlight are absent, plastic and or materials do not degre. discovery of plastic in trench was shocking as team is concerned that transboundary nature of plastic spre in oceans is having unknown but profound consequences on marine ecosystems, and in effect, on very foundations of life on planet.

(Image: Twitter)