Scientists have found on almost uninhabited islands of 414 million particles of plastic debris. He made the ocean currents

Cocos Islands, or Keeling - a group of 28 coral islands located in the Pacific Ocean and

the outer territory of Australia. According to 2014, the population of the islands was 596 people, most of whom live in the capital - West Island.

The archipelago is in a relatively largeaway from all continents, it is practically not visited by tourists. The researchers decided on his example to evaluate how the currents carry plastic trash in the ocean and where it ends up.

In total, during the study, scientists found onAbout 1 million plastic tubes, 300 thousand toothbrushes, several hundred thousand shoes and shale, as well as millions of plastic bags are in the Cocos Islands.

According to our estimates, only on these islandsthere are more than 414 million particles of plastic garbage, whose mass is 238 tons. This is a very conservative estimate, since we did not study what is hidden on the beaches and shores at depths of more than 10 cm and simply could not get to the most polluted beaches.

Jennifer Lavers, University of Tasmania

Previously, scientists from Macquarie University found outthat ocean pollution with plastic has a negative - even death - effect on Prochlorococcus bacteria, which are responsible for up to 10% of all oxygen in the atmosphere.