Marine Litter Distribution and Density in European Seas, from the Shelves to Deep Basins

Abstract

Anthropogenic litter is present in all marine habitats, from beaches to the most remote points in the oceans. On the seafloor, marine litter, particularly plastic, can accumulate in high densities with deleterious consequences for its inhabitants. Yet, because of the high cost involved with sampling the seafloor, no large-scale assessment of distribution patterns was available to date. Here, we present data on litter distribution and density collected during 588 video and trawl surveys across 32 sites in European waters. We found litter to be present in the deepest areas and at locations as remote from land as the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The highest litter density occurs in submarine canyons, whilst the lowest density can be found on continental shelves and on ocean ridges. Plastic was the most prevalent litter item found on the seafloor. Litter from fishing activities (derelict fishing lines and nets) was particularly common on seamounts, banks, mounds and ocean ridges. Our results highlight the extent of the problem and the need for action to prevent increasing accumulation of litter in marine environments.

Global Distribution, Composition and Abundance of Marine Litter

“…Pham et al 2014). Packaging, fishing nets and pieces thereof, as well as small pieces of unidentifiable plastic or polystyrene account for the majority of the litter items recorded in this category (Galgani et al 2013).…”

“…), aluminium (cans, pull tabs) and glass (bottles) and mainly originates from shoreline recreational activities but is also transported by the sea by currents. In some cases, specific activities account for local litter densities well above the global average (Pham et al 2014). For example, marine litter densities on beaches can be increased by up to 40 % in summer because of high tourist numbers (Galgani et al 2013).…”

“…The geographic distribution of debris on the ocean floor is strongly influenced by hydrodynamics, geomorphology and human factors (Galgani et al 1996;Pham et al 2014). Moreover, there are notable temporal variations, particularly seasonal, with tendencies for accumulation and concentration of marine litter in particular geographic areas (Galgani et al 1995).…”

“…Accordingly, even in the shallow subtidal abundance and distribution patterns can differ substantially from the adjacent strandlines with plastics being the most important fraction at sea. In general, bottom debris tends to become trapped in areas of low circulation where sediments are accumulating (Galgani et al 1996;Schlining et al 2013;Pham et al 2014). The consequence is an accumulation of plastic debris in bays, including lagoons of coral reefs, rather than in the open sea.…”

Rural plastic emissions into the largestmountain lake of the Eastern Carpathians

“…Plastic debris in the oceans and seas is a notorious environmental threat across the world [3,4]. Marine debris is measured in various geographical areas such as Hawaii [5], the Atlantic Ocean [6], the North Sea [7], the Arabian Gulf [8] and the Adriatic and Ionian Seas [9]. Asian countries are found to contribute the most to plastic marine debris while coastal European Union countries (23 in total) rank eighteenth on the top 20 list of polluters [10].…”