Articles | Volume 16, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-16-1317-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-16-1317-2020
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30 Oct 2020
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 30 Oct 2020

Beaching patterns of plastic debris along the Indian Ocean rim

Mirjam van der Mheen, Erik van Sebille, and Charitha Pattiaratchi

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A large percentage of global ocean plastic enters the Indian Ocean through rivers, but the fate of these plastics is generally unknown. In this paper, we use computer simulations to show that floating plastics beach and end up on coastlines throughout the Indian Ocean. Coastlines where a lot of plastic enters the ocean are heavily affected by beaching plastic, but plastics can also beach far from the source on remote islands and countries that contribute little plastic pollution of their own.