Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep rocky habitats. A quantita- tive assessment of debris present in the deep seafloor (30–300 m depth) was carried out in 26 areas off the coast of three Italian regions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The dominant type of debris (89%) was represented by fishing gears, mainly lines, while plastic objects were recorded only occasionally. Abundant quantities of gears were found on rocky banks in Sicily and Camp- ania (0.09–0.12 debris m-2), proving intense fishing activity. Fifty-four percent of the recorded debris directly impacted benthic organisms, primarily gorgonians, followed by black corals and sponges. This work provides a first insight on the impact of marine debris in Mediterranean deep ecosystems and a valuable baseline for future comparisons.
Distribution and Assessment of Marine Debris in the Deep Tyrrhenian sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy) / Michela, Angiolillo; Bianca di, Lorenzo; Farcomeni, Alessio; Marzia, Bo; Giorgio, Bavestrello; Giovanni, Santangelo; Angelo, Cau; Vincenza, Mastascusa; Alessandro, Cau; Flavio, Sacco; Simonepietro, Canese. - In: MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. - ISSN 0025-326X. - STAMPA. - 92:1-2(2015), pp. 149-159. [10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.044]
Distribution and Assessment of Marine Debris in the Deep Tyrrhenian sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy)
FARCOMENI, Alessio;
2015
Abstract
Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep rocky habitats. A quantita- tive assessment of debris present in the deep seafloor (30–300 m depth) was carried out in 26 areas off the coast of three Italian regions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The dominant type of debris (89%) was represented by fishing gears, mainly lines, while plastic objects were recorded only occasionally. Abundant quantities of gears were found on rocky banks in Sicily and Camp- ania (0.09–0.12 debris m-2), proving intense fishing activity. Fifty-four percent of the recorded debris directly impacted benthic organisms, primarily gorgonians, followed by black corals and sponges. This work provides a first insight on the impact of marine debris in Mediterranean deep ecosystems and a valuable baseline for future comparisons.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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