Abstract
Marine litter is a major form of pollution in the Mediterranean, but despite legislative requirements, additional information is still needed to evaluate basin-scale amounts, trends, and potential threats for the biota, especially for Habitats Directive listed species, such as cetaceans. Through repeated sampling of floating macro-litter along a fixed transect between Spain and Italy, this study provided detailed data within four marine sectors of the Western Mediterranean Sea, characterized by seasonal variability in oceanographic/ecological conditions and anthropogenic pressure. Moreover, we identified the areas of major overlap between high density of plastic and cetacean sightings. Litter was composed of plastic for more than 65%, with more diverse compositions occurring in the Balearic and Sardinian Sea compared to the semi-enclosed Bonifacio and Tyrrhenian sectors. The average amount of macro-litter ranged between 1.9 and 2.8 items km−2 and reached the highest values in spring/summer in all basins, suggesting a relationship with the increasing of touristic and maritime activities, both in coastal and offshore waters. The Balearic and Bonifacio sectors showed higher amounts and larger accumulation areas for plastic, likely due to a combination of multiple sources and oceanographic processes influencing the distributional patterns. Cetacean sightings were recorded in all sectors with fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) as the most frequent species. The presence of cetaceans in areas with high densities of plastic emerged mostly during spring/summer in the Balearic and Bonifacio sectors, but other specific areas of potential exposure were identified, indicating the need for a dynamic definition of this threat.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aliani S, Molcard A (2003) Hitch-hiking on floating marine debris: macrobenthic species in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Hydrobiologia 503:59–67
Aliani S, Griffa A, Molcard A (2003) Floating debris in the Ligurian Sea, north-western Mediterranean. Mar Pollut Bull 46:1142–1149. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(03)00192-9
Arcangeli A, Aissi M, Aragno P et al (2014a) Cetaceans, marine birds, sea turtles, marine traffic and marine floated litter—potential of a synoptic multi-disciplinary data collection in the western Mediterranean marine region. Biol Mar Mediterr 21:366–368
Arcangeli A, Orasi A, Carcassi SP, Crosti R (2014b) Exploring thermal and trophic preference of Balaenoptera physalus in the central Tyrrhenian Sea: a new summer feeding ground? Mar Biol 161:427–436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2348-8
Arcangeli A, Campana I, Marini L, MacLeod CD (2016) Long-term presence and habitat use of Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea. Mar Ecol 37:269–282
Arcangeli A, Campana I, Angeletti D et al (2017a) Amount, composition, and spatial distribution of floating macro litter along fixed trans-border transects in the Mediterranean basin. Mar Pollut Bull. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.028
Arcangeli A, Campana I, Bologna MA (2017b) Influence of seasonality on cetacean diversity, abundance, distribution and habitat use in the western Mediterranean Sea: implications for conservation. Aquat Conserv Mar Freshw Ecosyst. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2758
Ariza E, Jiménez JA, Sardá R (2008) Seasonal evolution of beach waste and litter during the bathing season on the Catalan coast. Waste Manag 28:2604–2613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2007.11.012
Astraldi M, Gasparini GP (1994) The seasonal characteristics of the circulation in the Tyrrhenian sea. In: La Viollette PE (ed) Seasonal and interannual variability of the western Mediterranean sea. American Geophysical Union, Washington. https://doi.org/10.1029/ce046p0115
Ayata SD, Irisson JO, Aubert A et al (2017) Regionalisation of the Mediterranean basin, a MERMEX synthesis. Prog Oceanogr. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2017.09.016
Barnes DKA (2002) Biodiversity: invasions by marine life on plastic debris. Nature 416:808–809. https://doi.org/10.1038/416808a
Barnes DKA, Galgani F, Thompson RC, Barlaz M (2009) Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 364:1985–1998. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0205
Baulch S, Perry C (2014) Evaluating the impacts of marine debris on cetaceans. Mar Pollut Bull 80:210–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.12.050
Bellisario B, Novelli C, Cerfolli F, Angeletti D, Cimmaruta R, Nascetti G (2010) The ecological restoration of the Tarquinia Salterns drives the temporal changes in the benthic community structure. Transit Waters Bull 4:105–114. https://doi.org/10.1285/i1825229Xv4n2p105
Bellisario B, Camisa F, Nascetti G, Lattanzi L, Cimmaruta R (2016) Spatial and temporal variation of coastal mainland vs. insular amphipod assemblages on Posidonia oceanica meadows. Mar Biodivers 46:335
Bergmann M, Gutow L, Klages M (2015) Marine anthropogenic litter. Springer, New York
Buckland ST, Anderson DR, Burnham KP, Laake JL, Borchers DL, Thomas L (2001) Introduction to distance sampling estimating abundance of biological populations. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Cafaro V, Angeletti D, Bellisario B et al (2015) Habitat overlap between bottlenose dolphins and seabirds: a pilot study to identify high-presence coastal areas in the Tyrrhenian Sea. J Mar Biol Assoc United Kingdom 96:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315415001447
Camedda A, Marra S, Matiddi M et al (2014) Interaction between loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and marine litter in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea). Mar Environ Res 100:25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2013.12.004
Campana I, Crosti R, Angeletti D et al (2015) Cetacean response to summer maritime traffic in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Mar Environ Res 109:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.05.009
Campana I, Angeletti D, Crosti R et al (2017) Seasonal characterisation of maritime traffic and the relationship with cetacean presence in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 115:282–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.12.008
Cheshire A, Adler E, Barbière J, et al (2009) UNEP/IOC Guidelines on survey and monitoring of marine litter. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies, No. 186; IOC Technical Series No. 83:120
Cimmaruta R, Angeletti D, Pontremolesi A, Nascetti G (2010) Low microsatellite variation in Aphanius fasciatus from the Tarquinia salterns. Transit Waters Bull 4:83–93. https://doi.org/10.1285/i1825229Xv4n2p83
Coe JM, Rogers DB (1997) Marine debris: sources, impacts, and solutions. Springer-Verlag, New York
Cole M, Lindeque P, Halsband C, Galloway TS (2011) Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: a review. Mar Pollut Bull 62:2588–2597
Coll M, Piroddi C, Albouy C et al (2012) The Mediterranean Sea under siege: spatial overlap between marine biodiversity, cumulative threats and marine reserves. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 21:465–480. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00697.x
Collignon A, Hecq JH, Glagani F et al (2012) Neustonic microplastic and zooplankton in the North Western Mediterranean Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 64:861–864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.01.011
Cózar A, Sanz-Martín M, Martí E et al (2015) Plastic accumulation in the mediterranean sea. PLoS One 10:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121762
Davison P, Asch RG (2011) Plastic ingestion by mesopelagic fishes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 432:173–180. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09142
Day RH, Shaw DG (1987) Patterns in the abundance of pelagic plastic and tar in the North Pacific Ocean, 1976–1985. Mar Pollut Bull 18(6):311–316
De Stephanis R, Giménez J, Carpinelli E et al (2013) As main meal for sperm whales: plastics debris. Mar Pollut Bull 69:206–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.01.033
Derraik JG (2002) The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review. Mar Pollut Bull 44:842–852. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00220-5
Deudero S, Alomar C (2015) Mediterranean marine biodiversity under threat: reviewing influence of marine litter on species. Mar Pollut Bull 98:58–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.07.012
Díaz López B (2006) Interactions between Mediterranean bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and gillnets off Sardinia, Italy. ICES J Mar Sci 63:946–951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icesjms.2005.06.012
Díaz-Torres ER, Ortega-Ortiz CD, Silva-Iñiguez L et al (2017) Floating marine debris in waters of the Mexican Central Pacific. Mar Pollut Bull 115:225–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.065
Di-Méglio N, Campana I (2017) Floating macro-litter along the Mediterranean French coast: composition, density, distribution and overlap with cetacean range. Mar Pollut Bull 118:155–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.026
Dufault S, Whitehead H (1994) Floating Marine Pollution in the Gully on the Continental Slope, Nova Scotia. Mar Pollut Bull 28:489–493
EC (2008) Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 June 2008, establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy
Endo S, Takizawa R, Okuda K et al (2005) Concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in beached resin pellets: variability among individual particles and regional differences. Mar Pollut Bull 50:1103–1114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.04.030
Fossi MC, Casini S, Caliani I et al (2012) The role of large marine vertebrates in the assessment of the quality of pelagic marine ecosystems. Mar Environ Res 77:156–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.03.003
Fossi MC, Baini M, Marsili L et al (2014) Large filter feeding marine organisms as indicators of microplastic in the pelagic environment: the case studies of the Mediterranean basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Mar Environ Res 100:17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.02.002
Fossi MC, Romeo T, Baini M et al (2017) Plastic Debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area pelagos sanctuary: a modeling approach. Front Mar Sci 4:1673389-167. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167
Galgani F, Souplet A, Cadiou Y (1996) Accumulation of debris on the deep sea floor off the French Mediterranean coast. Mar Ecol Ser 142:225–234. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps142225
Galgani F, Leaute JP, Moguedet P et al (2000) Litter on the sea floor along European coasts. Mar Pollut Bull 40:516–527. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(99)00234-9
Galgani F, Hanke G, Werner S et al (2013) Monitoring guidance for marine litter in European seas. MSFD GES Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter (TSG-ML). DRAFT REPORT, 120p
Gall SC, Thompson RC (2015) The impact of debris on marine life. Mar Pollut Bull 92:170–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.041
Gomerčić H, Duras Gomerčić M, Gomerčić T et al (2006) Biological aspects of Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) recorded in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. Eur J Wildl Res 52:182–187
González-fernández D, Hanke G (2017) Toward a harmonized approach for monitoring of riverine floating macro litter inputs to the marine environment. Front Mar Sci 4:1–7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00086
Gregory MR (2009) Environmental implications of plastic debris in marine settings–entanglement, ingestion, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien invasions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 364:2013–2025. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0265
Gündoğdu S, Çevik C (2017) Micro- and mesoplastics in Northeast Levantine coast of Turkey: the preliminary results from surface samples. Mar Pollut Bull 118:341–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.03.002
Halpern BS, Walbridge S, Selkoe KA et al (2008) A global map of human impact on marine ecosystems. Science (80-) 319:948–952. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1149345
Hammer Ø, Harper DAT, Ryan PD (2001) PAST: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontol Electron 4(1):1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2008.05.025
Hinojosa IA, Thiel M (2009) Floating marine debris in fjords, gulfs and channels of southern Chile. Mar Pollut Bull 58:341–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.10.020
Hinojosa IA, Rivadeneira MM, Thiel M (2011) Temporal and spatial distribution of floating objects in coastal waters of central-southern Chile and Patagonian fjords. Cont Shelf Res 31:172–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2010.04.013
ISPRA (2013) Marine litter & Marine macro fauna Protocol. Technical Annex II for the Agreement “Fixed Line Transect using ferries as platform of observation. Rome
Ivar Do Sul JA, Costa MF (2014) The present and future of microplastic pollution in the marine environment. Environ Pollut 185:352–364
Jambeck JR, Geyer R, Wilcox C et al (2015) Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science (80-) 347:768–770. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107415386.010
Kukulka T, Proskurowski G, Morét-Ferguson S et al (2012) The effect of wind mixing on the vertical distribution of buoyant plastic debris. Geophys Res Lett 39:1–6. https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL051116
Laist D (1997) Impacts of marine debris: entanglement of marine life in marine debris including a comprehensive list of species with entanglement and ingestion records. In. In: Coe JM, Rogers DB (eds) Marine debris—sources, impacts and solutions. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 99–139
Lebreton LCM, Greer SD, Borrero JC (2012) Numerical modelling of floating debris in the world’s oceans. Mar Pollut Bull 64:653–661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.10.027
Lecke-Mitchell KM, Mullin K (1997) Floating marine debris in the US Gulf of Mexico. Mar Pollut Bull 34:702–705. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(97)00027-1
Liubartseva S, Coppini G, Lecci R, Creti S (2016) Regional approach to modeling the transport of floating plastic debris in the Adriatic Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 103:115–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.031
Lopez Garcia MJ, Millot C, Font J, Garcia-Ladona E (1994) Surface circulation variability in the Balearic Basin. J Geophys Res 99:3285–3296
Mangano MC, Sarà G (2017) Collating science-based evidence to inform public opinion on the environmental effects of marine drilling platforms in the Mediterranean Sea. J Environ Manag 188:195–202
Mansui J, Molcard A, Ourmières Y (2015) Modelling the transport and accumulation of floating marine debris in the Mediterranean basin. Mar Pollut Bull 91:249–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.11.037
Mato Y, Isobe T, Takada H et al (2001) Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Environ Sci Technol 35:318–324. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0010498
Matsumura S, Nasu K (1997) Distribution of floating debris in the North Pacific Ocean: sighting surveys 1986–1991. In: Coe JM, Rogers DB (eds) Marine debris: sources, impacts, and solutions. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 15–24
Mazzariol S, Di Guardo G, Petrella A et al (2011) Sometimes sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) cannot find their way back to the high seas: a multidisciplinary study on a mass stranding. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019417
Millot C (1999) Circulation in the Western Mediterranean Sea. J Mar Syst 20:423–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-7963(98)00078-5
Moore CJ (2015) How much plastic is in the ocean? You tell me! Mar Pollut Bull 92:1–3
Morris RJ (1980) Floating plastic debris in the Mediterranean. Mar Pollut Bull 11:125. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(80)90073-9
Munari C, Corbau C, Simeoni U, Mistri M (2016) Marine litter on Mediterranean shores: analysis of composition, spatial distribution and sources in north-western Adriatic beaches. Waste Manag 49:483–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.12.010
Pennino MG, Pérez Roda MA, Pierce GJ, Rotta A (2016) Effects of vessel traffic on relative abundance and behaviour of cetaceans: the case of the bottlenose dolphins in the Archipelago de La Maddalena, north-western Mediterranean sea. Hydrobiologia 776:237–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2756-0
Pennino MG, Arcangeli A, Prado Fonseca V et al (2017) A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea). PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179686
Pham CK, Ramirez-Llodra E, Alt CHS et al (2014) Marine litter distribution and density in European seas, from the shelves to deep basins. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0095839
PlasticsEurope (2015) Plastics—the facts 2014/2015: an analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data. PlasticsEurope 1–34
Poeta G, Battisti C, Acosta ATR (2014) Marine litter in Mediterranean sandy littorals: spatial distribution patterns along central Italy coastal dunes. Mar Pollut Bull 89:168–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.10.011
Poeta G, Staffieri E, Acosta ATR, Battisti C (2017) Ecological effects of anthropogenic litter on marine mammals: a global review with a “black-list” of impacted taxa. Hystix. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-00003-2017
Possatto FE, Spach HL, Cattani AP et al (2015) Marine debris in a World heritage listed Brazilian estuary. Mar Pollut Bull 91:548–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.09.032
Rech S, Macaya-caquilpán V, Pantoja JF et al (2014) Rivers as a source of marine litter_a study from the SE Pacific (2014). Mar Pollut Bull 82:66–75
Rech S, Borrell Y, Garcìa-Vazquez E (2016) Marine litter as a vector for non-native species: what we need to know? Mar Pollut Bull 113:40–43
Ryan PG (2013) A simple technique for counting marine debris at sea reveals steep litter gradients between the Straits of Malacca and the Bay of Bengal. Mar Pollut Bull 69:128–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.01.016
Ryan PG, Connell AD, Gardner BD (1988) Plastic ingestion and PCBs in seabirds: is there a relationship? Mar Pollut Bull 19:174–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(88)90674-1
Sá S, Bastos-Santos J, Araújo H et al (2016) Spatial distribution of floating marine debris in offshore continental Portuguese waters. Mar Pollut Bull 104:269–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.01.011
Sarà G, Porporato EMD, Mangano MC, Mieszkowska N (2018) Multiple stressors facilitate the spread of a non-indigenous bivalve in the Mediterranean Sea. J Biogeogr. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13184
Shiomoto A, Kameda T (2005) Distribution of manufactured floating marine debris in near-shore areas around Japan. Mar Pollut Bull 50:1430–1432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.08.020
Simmonds MP (2012) Cetaceans and marine debris: the great unknown. J Mar Biol 2012:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/684279
Suaria G, Aliani S (2014) Floating debris in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 86:494–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.025
Suaria G, Avio CG, Mineo A et al (2016) The mediterranean plastic soup: synthetic polymers in Mediterranean surface waters. Sci Rep 6:37551. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep37551
Teuten EL, Rowland SJ, Galloway TS, Thompson RC (2007) Potential for plastics to transport hydrophobic contaminants. Environ Sci Technol 41:7759–7764. https://doi.org/10.1021/es071737s
Thiel M, Hinojosa I, Vásquez N, Macaya E (2003) Floating marine debris in coastal waters of the SE-Pacific (Chile). Mar Pollut Bull 46:224–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00365-X
Thiel M, Hinojosa IA, Joschko T, Gutow L (2011) Spatio-temporal distribution of floating objects in the German Bight (North Sea). J Sea Res 65:368–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2011.03.002
Thiel M, Hinojosa IA, Miranda L et al (2013) Anthropogenic marine debris in the coastal environment: a multi-year comparison between coastal waters and local shores. Mar Pollut Bull 71:307–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.01.005
Topcu EN, Tonay AM, Öztürk B (2010) A preliminary study on marine litter in the Aegean sea. Rapp Comm Int Mer Médit 804
Tubau X, Canals M, Lastras G et al (2015) Marine litter on the floor of deep submarine canyons of the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea: the role of hydrodynamic processes. Prog Oceanogr 134:379–403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2015.03.013
Vetrano A, Napolitano E, Iacono R et al (2010) Tyrrhenian Sea circulation and water mass fluxes in spring 2004: observations and model results. J Geophys Res Ocean 115:1–18. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JC005680
Vlachogianni T, Zeri C, Ronchi F, Fortibuoni T, Anastasopoulou A (2016) Marine litter assessment in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. The DeFishGear Project report, Athens
Wright SL, Thompson RC, Galloway TS (2013) The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: a review. Environ Pollut 178:483–492
Acknowledgements
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. We wish to thank all staff of the ferry company Grimaldi Lines for their constant support to the project and for hosting the researchers on board. Special thanks go to all the volunteers who joined the research during these years. IC, AA, and VDM performed data collection; IC conducted all the analyses and wrote the first draft of this paper; DA supervised the analyses and paper preparation at all stages; AA and RC planned and supervised the whole project. All authors have approved the final version of this article.
Funding
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Campana, I., Angeletti, D., Crosti, R. et al. Seasonal patterns of floating macro-litter across the Western Mediterranean Sea: a potential threat for cetacean species. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 29, 453–467 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-018-0680-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-018-0680-0