Deep-Sea Pipelines Harbor Biodiversity, but Also Collect Plastic

Underwater pipelines could attract the good, the bad and the ugly. New research from the National Oceanography Centre in the U.K. reports that a new oil and gas pipeline off the Angolan coast in Africa, harbors abundant and diverse wildlife. However, it also traps huge amounts of litter. Through long-term monitoring of the pipeline, the researchers hope to understand the impacts of human activity on remote deep-sea ecosystems and discover previously un-described species.