Publication Date:
2023-06-21
Description:
Marine litter can be found along coasts, continental shelves and slopes, down into the abyss. The absence of light,
low temperatures and low energy regimes characterising the deeper habitats ensure the persistence of litter over
time. Therefore, manmade items within the deep sea will likely accumulate to increasing quantities.
Here we report the litter abundance encountered at the Pacific abyssal nodule fields from the Peru Basin at
4150 m depth. An average density of 2.67 litter items/ha was observed. Litter composed of plastic was the most
abundant followed by metal and glass. At least 58 % of the items observed could be linked to the research expeditions
conducted in the area and appeared to be mostly accidental disposals from ships. The data gathered
was used to address temporal trends in litter abundance as well as the impact of human on-site presence and
return cruises in the context of future deep-sea mining efforts.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
peerRev
Format:
application/pdf
Permalink
