1. La distribución espacial de la macro-basura marina en el fondo del Mediterráneo norte: los resultados de las campañas MEDITS
- Author
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Maria Teresa Spedicato, Walter Zupa, Pierluigi Carbonara, Fabio Fiorentino, Maria Cristina Follesa, François Galgani, Cristina García-Ruiz, Angélique Jadaud, Christos Ioakeimidis, Giorgos Lazarakis, Giuseppe Lembo, Milica Mandic, Porzia Maiorano, Marina Sartini, Fabrizio Serena, Alessandro Cau, Antonio Esteban, Igor Isajlovic, Reno Micallef, and Ioannis Thasitis
- Subjects
Mediterranean climate ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Modelos Aditivos Generalizados (GAM) ,SH1-691 ,02 engineering and technology ,Aquatic Science ,plástico ,Oceanography ,Spatial distribution ,MEDITS ,lcsh:Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling ,Latitude ,Mediterranean sea ,GAM modelling ,plastic ,áreas de acumulación ,Marine debris ,Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling ,Mediterranean Sea ,marine macro-litter ,accumulation areas ,Marine ecosystem ,14. Life underwater ,Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia ,Pesquerías ,021101 geological & geomatics engineering ,lcsh:SH1-691 ,Ocean current ,mar Mediterráneo ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,medits ,13. Climate action ,0210 nano-technology ,Longitude ,Geology ,macro-basura marina - Abstract
Marine litter is one of the main sources of anthropogenic pollution in the marine ecosystem, with plastic representing a global threat. This paper aims to assess the spatial distribution of plastic macro-litter on the seafloor, identifying accumulation hotspots at a northern Mediterranean scale. Density indices (items km–2) from the MEDITS trawl surveys (years 2013-2015) were modelled by generalized additive models using a Delta-type approach and several covariates: latitude, longitude, depth, seafloor slope, surface oceanographic currents and distances from main ports. To set thresholds for the identification of accumulation areas, the percentiles (85th, 90th and 95th) of the plastic spatial density distribution were computed on the raster data. In the northern Mediterranean marine macro-litter was widespread (90.13% of the 1279 surveyed stations), with plastic by far the most recurrent category. The prediction map of the plastic density highlighted accumulation areas (85th, 90th and 95th percentiles of the distribution, respectively, corresponding to 147, 196 and 316 items km–2) in the Gulf of Lions, eastern Corsica, the eastern Adriatic Sea, the Argo-Saronic region and waters around southern Cyprus. Maximum densities were predicted in correspondence to the shallower depths and in proximity to populated areas (distance from the ports). Surface currents and local water circulation with cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were identified as drivers likely facilitating the sinking to the bottoms of floating debris, Sí
- Published
- 2023
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