A Filipino oceanographer and an American explorer diving together in the world’s third deepest ocean trench made a shocking environmental discovery – “plastic waste” lying at 10,540 metres depth.
The duo, who became the first people to dive into the Philippines Trench — the third deepest spot on earth – had expected to see strange deep sea creatures and were stunned to see human waste reaching such depths.
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Dr. Deo Florence Onda (33) is a microbial oceanologist from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, and also the youngest oceanographer in the country. On March 23, 2021, Onda and Victor Vescovo from Caladan Oceanic, dived into the “Emden Deep” section of the PhilippinesTrench at its deepest point of 10,540m.
The first description of the Philippines Trench was made in the 1950s, and another more detailed description in the 1970s.
Diving in a submarine for four hours, the team was looking forward to witnessing things never seen before including “scary, crawly creatures.” However, the view beyond the submarine’s windows displayed the shocking sight of human waste comprising plastic bags, food packaging, a teddy bear, and even clothes.
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A white object floating in the water at that depths was first thought to be a jellyfish, but was soon discovered to be white-coloured discarded human waste, Onda said while noting that that due to the depth and the pressure of the environment, he had believed the plastic would appear as small fragments, but “they were so intact as if they just came from the supermarket.”
Describing the amount of human debris lying scattered around in pockets on the seabed in the Emden Deep as “pretty extensive,” team member Vescovo said that at such depths where oxygen and sunlight is absent, plastic and other materials do not degrade. (AW)
