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Study Exposes Ship Paints as Significant Source of Ocean Microplastics
3 Nov
Summary
- Microplastics from ship paints a major but overlooked source of ocean pollution
- Researchers estimate 11,270 metric tons of microplastics enter oceans annually from marine coatings
- Calls for more research into this underexplored contributor to the global plastic crisis
A groundbreaking study published in October 2025 has uncovered a potentially massive source of microplastics polluting the world's oceans: ship paints. The research, conducted by a team from the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology and the University of Science and Technology of Daejeon, found that marine coatings designed to withstand the sea's salinity are a notable contributor to the growing microplastics problem.
According to the study, an estimated 11,270 metric tons of microplastics are introduced into the oceans each year from ship paints. This represents a significant yet largely overlooked source of this form of plastic pollution, which has been accumulating in the environment for decades. The authors note that while commercial vessels, particularly fishing boats, are known to lose up to a million tons of plastic gear at sea annually, the external impact of ship paints has remained relatively underexplored.
