The first report of deep-sea litter in the South-Western Caribbean Sea. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Botero, Camilo M.; Zielinski, Seweryn; Pereira, Cristina I.; León, Jorge A.; Dueñas, Luisa F.; Puentes, Vladimir
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 157(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: Marine litter -- Deep-sea debris -- Unmanned vehicle -- ROV; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111327
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: Marine litter is a world-wide problem, but the knowledge on this topic in remote areas such as the poles and the deep-sea is still limited. This paper seeks to provide the first accounts of deep-sea litter in the South-Western Caribbean Sea. The survey used 5066 still images from ROV video surveys around four hydrocarbon exploratory drilling zones. Forty-eight deep-sea litter items were found at depths between 427 and 2561 m, and analyzed by three different marine litter classifications. Plastic was the most frequent material (65%) and general litter the main category (69%). Almost half of the deep-sea litter items were found close to marine organism. This baseline is a first step to further research of human impact on the marine bottoms of the Caribbean. The paper highlights the importance of deep-sea litter as a descriptor of marine pollution, and the role of scientific cooperation between off-shore industry and the academy. Highlights: Deep-sea litter items were found off the Colombian Caribbean coast at depths between 427 and 2561 m. ROV video surveys and still images were taken around four hydrocarbon exploratory drilling zones. Three different marine litter classifications were used (Deep-sea Debris Database, Litterbase and BLAT-QQ). Plastic was the most frequent material (65%) and general litter the main category (69%).