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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Anthropic pressure due to lost fishing gears and marine litter on different rhodolith beds off the Campania Coast (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)
ClearIntegrated approach for marine litter pollution assessment in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea: Information from bottom-trawl fishing and plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish.
This study combined bottom-trawl fishing data with analysis of plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea to assess seafloor litter pollution. Plastic was the most abundant litter type on the seafloor, and plastic fragments were found in fish digestive tracts, demonstrating that microplastic contamination extends to deep-sea ecosystems and enters the food web.
Diversity Loss in Coralligenous Structuring Species Impacted by Fishing Gear and Marine Litter
ROV surveys along Italian coastlines found that fishing gear and marine litter—including plastic—were damaging coralligenous habitat-forming species that support Mediterranean biodiversity. Marine litter entanglement and smothering by plastic debris is contributing to biodiversity loss in protected marine habitats.
Baseline study of the distribution of marine debris on soft-bottom habitats associated with trawling grounds in the northern Mediterranean
Researchers surveyed marine debris on soft seafloor habitats associated with trawling grounds across four areas of the northern Mediterranean, finding geographic variation in litter density and composition. The study also examined how organisms colonize plastic items on the seafloor, contributing to understanding of plastic as an artificial substrate in benthic ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution in different environmental matrices of Tyrrhenian Sea' marine caves
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution across multiple matrices including water, sediment, and biota within Tyrrhenian Sea marine caves, quantifying anthropogenic pressures in this previously unstudied habitat and providing data to inform conservation and protection of these biodiversity hotspot environments.
Fate of lost fishing gears: Experimental evidence of biofouling colonization patterns from the northwestern Mediterranean Sea
This three-year study tracked biofouling colonization of abandoned fishing gear in the Mediterranean Sea at 30 m depth, finding progressive community succession from bacteria to complex invertebrate assemblages. Ghost fishing gear represents a significant and persistent source of microplastics as it fragments in the marine environment.
Assessing the human footprint on the sea-floor of coastal systems: the case of the Venice Lagoon, Italy
This study quantified the human footprint on the shallow seafloor of the Venice Lagoon, documenting widespread contamination from litter, physical disturbance, and pollutants across the lagoon's benthic habitats.
Microplastics Detected in Sediments and Rocks Substrate of Marine Areas with Ghost Nets
Researchers detected microplastics in sediment and rock substrates in ghost net-impacted areas of the Gulf of Cefalù, Sicily, identifying polyamide, nylon, and polyethylene particles likely derived from degrading abandoned fishing nets — marking the first recorded microplastic analysis in rock substrate collected by scuba diving.
Deep-sea litter: a comparison of seamounts, banks and a ridge in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans reveals both environmental and anthropogenic factors impact accumulation and composition
Researchers compared deep-sea litter accumulation on seamounts, banks, and a ridge across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, finding that both environmental factors — such as current patterns and depth — and anthropogenic factors — including proximity to shipping lanes and fishing activity — influenced litter abundance and composition. Plastic items dominated at all sites, with fishing-related debris particularly prominent on seamounts.
What, where, and when: Spatial-temporal distribution of macro-litter on the seafloor of the western and central Mediterranean sea
Using fishery-independent monitoring data from the western Mediterranean, this study characterized the spatial and temporal distribution of macro-litter on the seafloor, identifying accumulation hotspots to guide marine litter management efforts.
Microplastic pollution in different environmental matrices of Tyrrhenian Sea' marine caves
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution across water, sediment, and biota matrices in three marine caves in the Tyrrhenian Sea with contrasting environmental characteristics, examining a habitat that had received very little prior microplastics research. The enclosed, low-water-exchange conditions of marine caves were hypothesised to trap pollutants, making them potentially useful sentinels of anthropogenic pressure.
Marine Litter Distribution and Density in European Seas, from the Shelves to Deep Basins
Researchers mapped marine litter distribution and density across European seas — from shallow shelves to deep basins — finding litter present at all depths and in all regions surveyed, with deep-sea areas accumulating significant loads.
Assessment of Marine Litter in the Coralligenous Habitat of a Marine Protected Area along the Ionian Coast of Sicily (Central Mediterranean)
Researchers assessed the extent of marine litter in a coralligenous habitat within a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area, finding significant debris accumulation even in this protected zone. The findings highlight that MPA status alone is insufficient to prevent plastic pollution in sensitive benthic ecosystems.
A comparative study of marine litter on the seafloor of coastal areas in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas
Researchers surveyed seafloor litter density and composition across five sites in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas, finding plastic dominated in all areas (45–95% of items) with densities ranging from 24 to 1,211 items per square kilometer, and the Saronikos Gulf near Athens showing the heaviest contamination linked to local human activity and oceanographic conditions.
Fisheries and marine litter: anthropogenic pressures on the Gulf of Asinara biodiversity (North-Western Mediterranean Sea)
Researchers used bottom trawl fishing vessels within the MoRiNet project to simultaneously monitor seafloor litter and microplastic ingestion in fish and invertebrates across the Gulf of Asinara in the North-Western Mediterranean, leveraging fisheries collaboration to achieve broad spatial coverage. The study quantified anthropogenic pressures on biodiversity from marine litter and assessed multiple species for microplastic uptake across this ecologically and economically important area.
The Seafloor Marine Debris on the North and the Central Part Ofthe Moroccan Atlantic Waters from Tangier (35° n) to Sidi Ifni (29° n): Composition, Abundance, Spatial Distribution, Sources and Movement
Researchers used trawl surveys to map marine debris on the seafloor along 1,300 km of Morocco's Atlantic coast, documenting the composition, abundance, and distribution of debris from bottom trawling surveys. Plastic waste dominated the debris, with findings providing baseline data on seafloor plastic pollution in a heavily fished and under-studied region.
Monitoring plastics in the Mediterranean Sea with an emerging commercial species, the deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris).
Researchers monitored microplastic contamination in deep-sea crustaceans from the Mediterranean Sea, including Aristeus antennatus and Nephrops norvegicus, to assess plastic pollution in commercial fishing species. Both species were found to contain microplastics, indicating contamination reaches deep-water habitats used by commercially exploited stocks.
Microplastics in Sediments Originating from Abandoned, Lost or Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) in Coastal Areas of the Valencian Community
Abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a pervasive problem in the Mediterranean, and this study directly measured its contribution to microplastic pollution in coastal sediments near Alicante and Benidorm, Spain. Sites with fishing nets on the seafloor had significantly higher microplastic concentrations than net-free control sites, with polymer types matching those used in fishing gear (nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene). The study provides direct evidence linking derelict fishing gear to localized microplastic hotspots, strengthening the scientific case for systematic retrieval programs and stricter regulations on gear loss in sensitive coastal areas.
Spatial distribution of marine macro-litter on the seafloor in the northern Mediterranean Sea: the MEDITS initiative
Researchers modeled the spatial distribution of plastic macro-litter on the northern Mediterranean seafloor using MEDITS trawl survey data from 2013-2015, identifying accumulation hotspots using generalized additive models incorporating depth, latitude, longitude, and other environmental covariates.
Plastic debris accumulation in the seabed derived from coastal fish farming
Researchers assessed plastic accumulation in seabed sediments around three Mediterranean coastal fish farms in Spain, finding microplastic concentrations up to 213 particles/kg dry weight directly beneath farm facilities, with ropes, nets, and fibres as the dominant macroplastic categories.
Microplastics spatiotemporal distribution and variability in marine habitats along the North-Western Mediterranean coastal waters.
Researchers assessed microplastic spatiotemporal distribution across multiple Mediterranean marine habitat types including water surface, sediment, and biota, revealing significant variability by location and season. The multi-compartment approach showed that no single habitat type captures the full extent of microplastic contamination.
Impact of returning scientific cruises and prolonged on-site presence on litter abundance at the deep-sea nodule fields in the Peru Basin
Researchers catalogued marine litter at Pacific abyssal nodule fields in the Peru Basin at 4,150 meters depth, finding an average density of 2.67 items per hectare and estimating that at least 58% of litter could be traced to past scientific research expeditions, raising concerns about contamination from future deep-sea mining operations.
Mapping of marine litter on the seafloor using WASSP S3 multibeam echo sounder and Chasing M2 ROV
Researchers tested multibeam sonar and a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to map marine litter on the seafloor of a Croatian channel, finding the ROV effective for shallow-water debris detection but limited without proper navigation aids. This work advances techniques for locating plastic debris hotspots on the seabed, which is important because seafloor litter — including microplastic precursors — is largely invisible and understudied.
Microplastic pollution in the littoral environment: insights from the largest Mediterranean Sabellaria spinulosa (Annelida) reef and shoreface sediments
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in and around a rare Mediterranean bioconstruction reef — the largest Sabellaria spinulosa polychaete reef in the Mediterranean — along the southern Adriatic coast of Italy. The western side of the site had significantly higher microplastic levels, driven by coastal currents rather than the reef-building activity itself, with PET fibers as the dominant type. The findings reveal that polychaete reefs act as temporary microplastic traps, accumulating contamination in ways that could harm these fragile and ecologically important benthic habitats.
Marine Litter, Plastic, and Microplastics on the Seafloor
This review examines marine litter, plastic debris, and microplastics accumulating on the seafloor from intertidal zones to hadal depths, emphasizing that the seafloor is a major long-term sink for plastics denser than seawater. It discusses monitoring challenges across different seabed types and highlights abandoned fishing gear as a key seafloor litter component that entangles marine fauna.