A submarine went 3,000 metres beneath the sea. What it found reveals something about us
News Source
•Sat, 19 Sep 2026 02:49:40 +0000
📰 What Happened
Scientists sent a robot sub thousands of metres down into a deep ocean canyon off Argentina. They found plastic bags, food wrappers, fishing gear and an old boot on the seafloor.
The team, led by Dr Daniel Lauretta, made 17 dives in the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon in 2025. They studied about 240 hours of video. They found human-made rubbish in 10 of the 17 dives.
🔍 The Backstory
The canyon sits in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. It was the first time cameras filmed the seafloor there. Most of the rubbish found was plastic. Some pieces were buried in mud or stuck between rocks.
More rubbish was found inside the canyon than nearby. Scientists think the shape of the canyon and the currents trap debris. The team also found about 40 species that may be new to science.
🎯 Why It Matters
This shows plastic reaches even the deepest, least explored parts of the ocean. That rubbish can affect sea life far from where people live.
Scientists sent a robot sub thousands of metres down into a deep ocean canyon off Argentina. They found plastic bags, food wrappers, fishing gear and an old boot on the seafloor.
The team, led by Dr Daniel Lauretta, made 17 dives in the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon in 2025. They studied about 240 hours of video. They found human-made rubbish in 10 of the 17 dives.
The canyon sits in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. It was the first time cameras filmed the seafloor there. Most of the rubbish found was plastic. Some pieces were buried in mud or stuck between rocks.
More rubbish was found inside the canyon than nearby. Scientists think the shape of the canyon and the currents trap debris. The team also found about 40 species that may be new to science.
This shows plastic reaches even the deepest, least explored parts of the ocean. That rubbish can affect sea life far from where people live.