Video 4_Plastic debris in the Ecuadorian shoreline, coastal and deep-water zones of the eastern Pacific margin.mov

Approximate visual encounter estimates, the density of abyssal litter reached between 0.016 and 0.019 g/m². To contextualize these findings, a six-year dataset (2019–2025) from a fixed 100 m² beach station recorded 152.9 kg of debris, with an accumulation rate of 5.7 g/week/m². Oceanographic variables (temperature, wind, solar radiation, pH) were associated with transport, burial, and fragmentation processes, with food packaging and fishing gear dominant across depths.

Notably, similar items (bags, food bowls, bottles, and nylon threads) were documented both on the beach and at abyssal depths, providing suggestive evidence of connectivity between coastal and deep-sea debris sources. Our study thus represents the first report of plastic pollution in the eastern equatorial Pacific abyss and highlights the need for integrated monitoring and policy frameworks that address marine plastic pollution across connected ecosystems.</p>