We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Where does Arctic beach debris come from? Analyzing debris composition and provenance on Svalbard aided by citizen scientists
Summary
Citizen scientists helped researchers collect and analyze marine debris on beaches in Svalbard, a remote Arctic archipelago. By examining the composition and origin of the debris, the team identified both local sources and evidence of long-distance oceanic transport bringing plastic waste to the Arctic. The study demonstrates how citizen science can expand data collection in remote regions and improve our understanding of how plastic pollution reaches even the most isolated environments.
Plastic debris is ubiquitous in all ecosystems and has even reached locations that humans will hardly reach such as the deep ocean floor and the atmosphere. Research has highlighted that plastic debris is now pervasive even in remote Arctic regions. While modeling projections indicated local sources and long-distance transport as causes, empirical data about its origin and sources are scarce. Data collected by citizen scientists can increase the scale of observations, especially in such remote regions. Here, we report abundance and composition data of marine debris collected by citizen scientists on 14 remote Arctic beaches on the Spitsbergen archipelago. In addition, citizen scientists collected three large, industrial sized canvas bags (hereafter: big packs), filled with beached debris, of which composition, sources and origin were determined. A total debris mass of 1,620 kg was collected on about 38,000 m 2 (total mean = 41.83 g m -2 , SEM = ± 31.62). In terms of abundance, 23,000 pieces of debris were collected on 25,500 m 2 (total mean = 0.37 items of debris m -2 , SEM = ± 0.17). Although most items were plastic in both abundance and mass, fisheries waste, such as nets, rope, and large containers, dominated in mass (87%), and general plastics, such as packaging and plastic articles, dominated in abundance (80%). Fisheries-related debris points to local sea-based sources from vessels operating in the Arctic and nearby. General plastics could point to both land- and ship based sources, as household items are also used on ships and debris can be transported to the north via the oceans current. Overall, 1% of the items (206 out of 14,707 pieces) collected in two big packs (2017 and 2021), bore imprints or labels allowing an analysis of their origin. If the categories ‘global’ and ‘English language’ were excluded, most of identifiable items originated from Arctic states (65%), especially from Russia (32%) and Norway (16%). But almost a third of the items (30%) was of European provenance, especially from Germany (8%). Five percent originated from more distant sources (e.g. USA, China, Korea, Brazil). Global measures such as an efficient and legally binding plastic treaty with improved upstream measures and waste management are urgently needed, to lower the amount of plastic entering our environments and in turn lifting the pressure on the Arctic region and its sensitive biota.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Citizen scientists reveal: Marine litter pollutes Arctic beaches and affects wild life
Citizen scientists surveying beaches on the remote Arctic island of Svalbard found plastic litter densities comparable to heavily populated coastal areas, with over 80% of the litter being plastic and most traceable to the fishing industry. The study demonstrates both the reach of plastic pollution into remote polar ecosystems and the value of citizen science for environmental monitoring.
Citizen scientists reveal small but concentrated amounts of fragmented microplastic on Arctic beaches
Citizen scientists on Arctic tourist cruises collected beach sediment samples from Svalbard and found microplastics at all sites, with small but concentrated quantities of fragmented particles. The study confirms that even remote Arctic beaches are contaminated with microplastics, likely transported from distant sources, and demonstrates the value of citizen science for expanding monitoring coverage in hard-to-reach regions.
Arctic Plastic Coasts: 7 years investigating beach litter in the Arctic through citizen science
Researchers conducted a seven-year citizen science survey of beach litter across Arctic coastlines from Jan Mayen to Svalbard and Greenland, finding that marine litter on Svalbard and Jan Mayen is dominated by material from oceanic fisheries while Greenland's plastic pollution is primarily from local sources.
Arctic Plastic Coasts: 7 years investigating beach litter in the Arctic through citizen science
Researchers conducted a seven-year citizen science survey of beach litter across Arctic coastlines from Jan Mayen to Svalbard and Greenland, finding that marine litter on Svalbard and Jan Mayen is dominated by material from oceanic fisheries while Greenland's plastic pollution is primarily from local sources.
Occurrence and sources of microplastics on Arctic beaches: Svalbard
Researchers sampled four beach sites near Longyearbyen, Svalbard, to assess microplastic contamination in the Arctic. They found microplastics at all sites, with higher concentrations closer to human settlements and wastewater discharge points. The study suggests that even remote Arctic beaches are receiving microplastic pollution, primarily from local sources rather than long-range ocean transport.