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The Plastic Pollution Crisis: A Deep Dive

In 2019, American explorer Victor Vovo made headlines as he descended to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, plunging 10.9 kilometers below sea level, further than anyone in history. What he discovered was astonishing: new species of crustaceans and vibrant underwater landscapes, juxtaposed with the stark reality of plastic pollution. Among the wonders of the deep, Vovo also found a discarded plastic balloon featuring characters from Disney's Frozen, along with heavy-duty plastic buckets and remnants of plastic bags. The presence of such items in one of the most isolated places on Earth starkly illustrated humanity's impact on the environment.