Browsing by Author "Sobral, Paula"
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- Are litter, plastic and microplastic quantities increasing in the ocean?Publication . Galgani, Francois; Brien, Aleke Stoefen-o; Weis, Judith; Ioakeimidis, Christos; Schuyler, Qamar; Makarenko, Iryna; Griffiths, Huw; Bondareff, Joan; Vethaak, Dick; Deidun, Alan; Sobral, Paula; Topouzelis, Konstantinos; Vlahos, Penny; Lana, Fernanda; Hassellov, Martin; Gerigny, Olivia; Arsonina, Bera; Ambulkar, Archis; Azzaro, Maurizio; Bebianno, Maria JoãoWhilst both plastic production and inputs at sea have increased since the 1950s, several modelling studies predict a further increase in the coming years in these respective quantities. We compiled scientific literature on trends in marine litter, consisting largely of plastic and microplastics in the ocean, understanding that monitoring programs or assessments for these aspects are varied, frequently focusing on limited components of the marine environment in different locations, and covering a wide spectrum of marine litter types, with limited standardization. Here we discuss how trends in the amounts of litter in the marine environment can be compared with the information provided by models. Increasing amounts of plastic are found in some regions, especially in remote areas, but many repeated surveys and monitoring efforts have failed to demonstrate any consistent real temporal trend. An observed steady state situation of plastic quantities in many marine compartments and the fate and transport of plastic in the marine environment remain areas for much needed further research.
- Lost fishing gear and litter at Gorringe Bank (NE Atlantic)Publication . Vieira, Rui P.; Raposo, Isabel P.; Sobral, Paula; Gonçalves, J. M. S.; Bell, Katherine L. C.; Cunha, Marina R.Studies concerning marine litter have received great attention over the last several years by the scientific community mainly due to their ecological and economic impacts in marine ecosystems, from coastal waters to the deep ocean seafloor. The distribution, type and abundance of marine litter in Ormonde and Gettysburg, the two seamounts of Gorringe Bank, were analyzed from photo and video imagery obtained during ROV-based surveys carried out at 60–3015 m depths during the E/V Nautilus cruise NA017. Located approximately 125 nm southwest of Portugal, Gorringe Bank lays at the crossroad between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and is therefore characterized by an intense maritime traffic and fishing activities. The high frequency of lost or discarded fishing gear, such as cables, longlines and nets, observed on Gorringe Bank suggests an origin mostly fromfishing activities,with a clear turnover in the type of litter (mostly metal, glass and to amuch lesser extent, plastic) with increasing depth. Litter was more abundant at the summit of Gorringe Bank (ca. 4 items·km−1), decreasing to less than 1 item·km−1 at the flanks and to ca. 2 items·km−1 at greater depths. Nevertheless, litter abundance appeared to be lower than in continental margin areas. The results presented herein are a contribution to support further actions for the conservation of vulnerable habitats on Gorringe Bank so that they can continue contributing to fishery productivity in the surrounding region.