Description: Understanding the distribution and structure of biotopes is essential for marine conservation according to international legislation, such as the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The biotope 'Sea Pen and Burrowing Megafuna Communities' is included in the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining habitats. Accordingly, the MSFD prescribes a monitoring of this biotope by the member states of the EU. In the German North Sea, however, the distribution and spatial extent of this biotope as well as the structuring of its benthic species inventory is unknown. We used an extensive geo-referenced dataset on occurrence, abundance and biomass of the benthic infauna of the south-eastern North Sea to estimate the distribution of the biotope and to characterize the associated infauna assemblages. Sediment preferences of the burrowing megafauna, comprising decapod crustaceans and echiurids, were identified and the core distribution areas of the burrowing megafauna were modelled using Random Forests. Clusters of benthic infauna inside the core distribution areas were identified by fuzzy clustering. The burrowing megafauna occurred on a wide range of sediments with varying mud contents. The core distribution area of the burrowing megafauna was characterized by elevated mud content and a water depth of 25-55 m. The analysis of the benthic communities and their relation to sedimentological conditions identified four infauna clusters of slightly varying species composition. The biotope type 'Sea Pen and Burrowing Megafuna Communities' is primarily located inside the paleo valley of the river Elbe and covers an area of 4980 km2. Dedicated monitoring will have to take into account the spatial extent and the structural variability of the biotope. Our results can provide a baseline for the evaluation of the future development of the environmental status of the biotope. The maps generated herein will facilitate the communication of information relevant for environmental management to authorities and policy makers.

Description: Vast quantities of plastics are accumulating in the oceans. At sea, plastics interact with marine biota often with deleterious consequences for organisms and habitats. As users of marine food resources and ecosystem services humans are also affected by marine plastic litter. Economic, social and health implications necessitate decisive action to manage this growing environmental problem at a global scale. Accordingly, legislative and technological instruments have been implemented to reduce the amounts of marine plastic debris. Promising strategies to reduce the human plastic footprint in the oceans must involve the minimization of plastic discharges into the marine environment.

Description: For many years, the pollution of the oceans with marine litter received only little attention from the public although the global plastic production has grown steadily. However, since the “discovery” of the oceanic garbage patches and microplastics the littering of the oceans has become a hot topic, which is reflected in strong recent increases in the number of publications. Despite growing research efforts many questions remain unanswered and the new wealth of information does not readily transpire to the general public, which is left unsettled. For example, it is still unclear what the overall extent of ocean pollution is, or how the enormous amounts of oceanic plastics affect marine life and ecosystems. To overcome this uncertainty and make best use of the existing knowledge, we currently develop an online portal for marine litter and microplastic pollution named LITTERBASE. As of early 2017, LITTERBASE will provide access to the current state of understanding of marine litter and microplastics to the general public and stakeholders. Published records of marine litter and microplastics and their impact on marine life will be compiled in a database. The regularly updated information will be displayed in distribution maps and other graphs in an interactive online portal. In the long run, data from citizen scientists may also be integrated into these infographs.

Description: Floating anthropogenic litter provides habitat for a diverse community of marine organisms. A total of 387 taxa, including pro- and eukaryotic micro-organisms, seaweeds and invertebrates, have been found rafting on floating litter in all major oceanic regions. Among the invertebrates, species of bryozoans, crustaceans, molluscs and cnidarians are most frequently reported as rafters on marine litter. Microorganisms are also ubiquitous on marine litter although the composition of the microbial community seems to depend on specific substratum characteristics such as the polymer type of floating plastic items. Sessile suspension feeders are particularly well-adapted to the limited autochthonous food resources on artificial floating substrata and an extended planktonic larval development seems to facilitate colonization of floating litter at sea. Properties of floating litter, such as size and surface rugosity, are crucial for colonization by marine organisms and the subsequent succession of the rafting community. The rafters themselves affect substratum characteristics such as floating stability, buoyancy, and degradation. Under the influence of currents and winds marine litter can transport associated organisms over extensive distances. Because of the great persistence (especially of plastics) and the vast quantities of litter in the world’s oceans, rafting dispersal has become more prevalent in the marine environment, potentially facilitating the spread of invasive species.

Description: This book describes how manmade litter, primarily plastic, has spread into the remotest parts of the oceans and covers all aspects of this pollution problem from the impacts on wildlife and human health to socio-economic and political issues. Marine litter is a prime threat to marine wildlife, habitats and food webs worldwide. The book illustrates how advanced technologies from deep-sea research, microbiology and mathematic modelling as well as classic beach litter counts by volunteers contributed to the broad awareness of marine litter as a problem of global significance. The authors summarise more than five decades of marine litter research, which receives growing attention after the recent discovery of great oceanic garbage patches and the ubiquity of microscopic plastic particles in marine organisms and habitats. In 16 chapters, authors from all over the world have created a universal view on the diverse field of marine litter pollution, the biological impacts, dedicated research activities, and the various national and international legislative efforts to combat this environmental problem. They recommend future research directions necessary for a comprehensive understanding of this environmental issue and the development of efficient management strategies. This book addresses scientists, and it provides a solid knowledge base for policy makers, NGOs, and the broader public.

Description: Anthropogenic litter contamination of the oceans is a global problem of growing concern and currently receives strongly increasing attention by policy makers, public authorities, media and the general public. Unlike many other pollutants, marine litter on beaches and its deleterious effects on marine mammals, birds and turtles have attracted much attention as they can be directly observed by stakeholders.