Marine litter is a growing threat to the marine environment. Mapping of marine litter is becoming increasingly important to detect its potential hotspots and prevent their spread. In this paper, the applicability of the multibeam echo sounder (MBES) WASSP S3 and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) Chasing M2 was tested in the detection and mapping of marine litter on the seafloor within the wider area of the St. Ante Channel (Šibenik, Croatia). Also, the precision assessment of WASSP S3 was tested at different cruising speeds. Results have shown that Chasing M2 can be used effectively for the initial detection of marine debris in shallow waters. However, if the underwater navigation and positioning system and auxiliary measurement scales are not used, the ROV has limited capabilities in deriving morphometric parameters of marine litter on the seafloor. This was determined by comparing the 3D model of a tire which was derived using video photogrammetry captured with ROV and the 3D model of a tire which was produced using a hand-held 3D scanner. Furthermore, the results have shown the WASSP S3 is not suitable for identifying marine litter smaller than 1 m at depths up to 10 m. The MBES WASSP S3 can detect marine litter that has a minimum area of 100 * 100 cm and a height of around 40 cm at depths up to 10 m. The results pointed to the need for caution when choosing an adequate sensor to detect and map marine litter on the seafloor. In addition, MBES interval measurements have shown that WASSP S3 precision is in the centimeter range (<10 cm) at different cruising speeds. The obtained results have helped to establish the guidelines for the integrated use of MBES, ROV, and UAV in the detection of marine litter on the seafloor.
Microplastics (MPs), commonly defined as particles less than 5 mm, are a persistent ubiquitous anthropogenic contaminant that can be found in every environment, making it a global environmental, health, and socioeconomic problem. Due to their high surface area, MPs adsorb toxic pollutants that become bioavailable to organisms upon ingestion as they are often mistaken for food leading to biomagnification (Bule et al., 2020). The sampling area represents the lower part of the Krka River Estuary and is under direct anthropogenic influence from the city of Šibenik runoff waters, nautical and communal ports, city harbor, tourism, mariculture, and fishing. Estuaries and harbors have been recognized as hotspots and transfer pathways for MPs primarily because of the vicinity of the urban environment that emits contaminants from various sources (Miller et al., 2021). The main focus of this research was to determine MPs size, shape, color, surface area, and abundance in surface water using volume-reduced samples collected by a net. Laboratory protocol included sieving, wet peroxidation (H2O2), density separation (saturated NaCl solution), sonication, and filtration. Filter papers were then visually inspected for MPs. Image processing and measurements were carried out with ImageJ/Fiji open-source software.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.