A recently published study, that took place in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, shows that plastic debris exists from the surface all the way to the ocean floor. The plastic debris is generally in the form of micro-plastics, which means the pieces are less than 5 millimeters across. Because the bits are so small, they are entering the marine food web. In addition to sampling the water, researchers also looked at concentrations of micro-plastic particles in specimens of two marine species that filter-feed in the water column: Pelagic Red Crabs and giant Larvaceans. The team found micro-plastic in all of the animal specimens they surveyed.
