While some would consider space the final frontier, we’ve still yet fully explored the depths of the sea, an environment so foreign to us, it seems otherworldly, inspiring both fear and wonderment. Although we are still somewhat blindly navigating the profundity of the ocean, our nasty habit of plastic has already served as a clarion call to humanity’s penchant for destruction to the once untouched deep water.

In May 2019, deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo set a record for the deepest solo dive, with the record previously held by Avatar director James Cameron since 2012. During Vescovo’s multiple trips, which included reaching 35,853 feet towards the bottom of Challenger Deep located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench, the 53-year-old financier Vescovo found four new species that could provide clues to the origin of life on Earth.

He also observed a plastic bag and candy wrappers.