Percorrer por autor "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.
- Scanning the horizon: anticipating future changes in Portuguese aquatic ecosystemsPublication . Sousa, Ronaldo; Ferreira, Verónica; Costas, Susana; Alves, Celso; Anastácio, Pedro; Chaínho, Paula; Costa, Pedro A.; Duarte, Sofia; Feio, Maria João; Franco, João N.; Gonçalves, José; Ribeiro, Filipe; Robalo, Joana I.; Rivaes, Rui; Santos, Jacqueline; Silva, Janine; Sobral, Paula; Padilha, JaneideWe identified 15 emerging and poorly understood topics related to aquatic ecosystems in Portugal (from an initial pool of 43), which were scored and prioritized using a consensus-based Delphi technique. For marine ecosystems, the topics included current and future threats to low-lying sandy coasts, the impacts of the green energy transition, the risks posed by pathogens on floating ocean debris, the strategic importance of algae for a sustainable future, and Portugal’s potential contribution to the expansion of Marine Protected Areas. For freshwater ecosystems, the topics included identifying drought refuges for freshwater biodiversity, assessing the potential ecological and social costs of water highways, uncovering the hidden impacts of clean energy (floating solar panels and lithium mining), managing water quality in reservoirs, and understanding the potential impacts of the recent expansion of intensive olive orchards. For cross-cutting topics relevant to both types of ecosystems, the most scored topics included the importance of aquatic super-sites for ecological monitoring, new solutions for detecting and removing emerging pollutants, the application of rewilding, the impact of forest pathogens and emerging zoonoses, and the rise of organic compounds as a multidimensional threat. Prioritizing these topics can support a more proactive approach to conserving, managing, and sustainably exploring aquatic ecosystems in Portugal. This methodology can also be used to prioritize research funding areas identified bottom up (by the scientific community) rather than dictated from the top down (by decision-makers) and serve as a roadmap for conducting similar exercises in other regions of the world.