A submarine went 3,000 metres beneath the sea. What it found reveals something about us

Scientists exploring a deep-sea canyon off the coast of Argentina have found plastic bags, food packaging, fishing gear and an old boot thousands of metres beneath the ocean's surface.

The rubbish was discovered during the first expedition to capture images of the seafloor in the Mar del Plata Submarine Canyon, in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Researchers say the findings provide further evidence that human-made waste is reaching some of the world's deepest and least-explored marine environments.

The international research team, led by Dr Daniel Lauretta of Argentina's natural science museum, conducted 17 dives using a remotely operated submersible during the summer of 2025.

After analysing approximately 240 hours of footage, researchers identified human-made debris during 10 of the 17 dives.

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The study, published on Wednesday, also documented around 40 species that researchers say may be new to science.

Across the 17 dives, researchers identified 29 pieces of human-made debris.

The objects included plastic bags, food wrappers, fishing gear and a boot.

Researchers found some of the rubbish buried in sediment, while other items were trapped among rocks or had been drifting through the water.

The researchers said this suggested the canyon's geography and ocean currents may be funnelling debris into the area, where some items can then become trapped or buried.

The findings add to a growing body of research showing plastic pollution is not restricted to coastlines or the ocean's surface.

Researchers also documented marine animals interacting with some of the debris.

Mobile animals, including crustaceans, were observed making temporary contact with rubbish.