Integrated approach for marine litter pollution assessment in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea: Information from bottom-trawl fishing and plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish. (March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sciutteri, Valentina; Pedà, Cristina; Longo, Francesco; Calogero, Rosario; Cangemi, Giuseppe; Pagano, Luca; Battaglia, Pietro; Nannini, Matteo; Romeo, Teresa; Consoli, Pierpaolo
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 188(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Subjects: Seafloor litter -- Microplastics ingestion -- Identification by FT-IR -- Artificial polymers -- Mediterranean Sea -- Macrolitter source; 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.2023.114661
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: Marine litter pollution threatens marine ecosystems and biodiversity conservation, particularly on seafloors where all anthropogenic waste naturally sinks. In this study, we provide new information on the composition, density and origin of seafloor macrolitter as well as on plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish from bottom-trawling by-catch in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Plastic constituted the highest fraction of litter in terms of density (64 %) and weight (32 %) and was also retrieved in the gastrointestinal traits of Chlorophthalmus agassizi, Coelorhynchus coelorhynchus and Hoplosthethus mediterraneus . FT-IR spectroscopy analysis on the seafloor macrolitter and the ingested plastics revealed the presence of artificial polymers including PE, PET/polyester, PA widely used for food packaging, plastic bags and several common products, especially Single Use Plastic (SUP). These results underline how poor waste management schemes or their incorrect application strongly contribute to marine litter accumulation on seafloors and plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish. Highlights: Source, density, composition of seafloor macrolitter in southern Tyrrhenian Sea Meso- and microplastics ingestion in C. coelorhincus, C. agassizi, H. mediterraneus FT-IR spectroscopy identifying seafloor macrolitter polymers composition Artificial polymer materials as the most abundant litter in s. Tyrrhenian Sea Low occurrence of plastic ingestion in deep-sea fish from bottom-trawl by-catch