Deep in the South Pacific Ocean lies Point Nemo, the most remote spot on planet Earth. At more than 1,700 miles away from the nearest island, the closest humans to Point Nemo are often the astronauts passing over in the International Space Station. In fact, the spot is so far away from land that it has been used for years as a safe crash site for old satellites re-entering orbit by every country with a space program. There are currently over 250 fallen satellites scattered in the 500 square mile area that makes up Point Nemo. Sadly, used spaceships have now been joined by used soda bottles and all other manner of garbage.
The good news is that, while the pollution is a sad discovery, the levels of microplastics being found in the area are still lower than they are in places like the Mediterranean, or the world’s most polluted ocean, the South China Sea.
