Since 1957, the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) has been towed over 6.5 million nautical miles in the North Atlantic and adjacent seas. The operators have also kept records track of entanglements that disrupted their work: what snared the equipment, where it happened and when. This has proved a valuable source of data on plastic waste, according to contemporary researchers. From fishing twine found in the ocean in the 50s, then a first carrier bag in 1965, it reflects how the marine refuse problem grew from small, largely ignored incidents to become a matter of global concern.

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, fewer than 1% of tows were disrupted by entanglements with synthetic materials. By the 90s it was almost 2%, and in the first decade of this century the increase “was of an order of magnitude”, according to the paper. The figure is now hovering somewhere between 3% and 4%. Almost half of the interruptions are caused by discarded nets, lines and other fishing equipment. Other plastic objects account for the rest.

The continuous plankton recorder has provided essential data on marine plastic before. Since 2004, samples have been retrospectively analysed for microplastics, revealing a significant increase from 1960–70 to 1980–1990.  Click here to read more.  To read the full paper click here.