Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary
Records of anthropogenic marine debris and the threats it poses are increasing worldwide, yet we know relatively little about the distribution of benthic debris. The seafloor is the final destination for a large proportion of debris due to the degradation and sinking of items. A more detailed unders...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9797093/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1797973926883622912 |
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| author | Brie A. Sherow Emma L. Johnston Graeme F. Clark |
| author_facet | Brie A. Sherow Emma L. Johnston Graeme F. Clark |
| author_sort | Brie A. Sherow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Records of anthropogenic marine debris and the threats it poses are increasing worldwide, yet we know relatively little about the distribution of benthic debris. The seafloor is the final destination for a large proportion of debris due to the degradation and sinking of items. A more detailed understanding of debris distributions in hotspots such as urbanised estuaries can help decision makers target management and remediation activities. We selected sites frequented by fishers and boaters in Sydney Harbour, an urbanised estuary, to investigate the impacts of recreational activities on debris abundance. The aim of this study was to examine variation in macro debris (>5mm in diameter) type and abundance at two habitat types (piers and non-piers). We chose five locations at various distances from the estuary mouth. In each location SCUBA teams performed fixed transects at two sites, one under a pier and one over nearby soft-sediment habitat. Debris was recovered by the divers and brought to the surface for classification and disposal. Surveys were repeated multiple times at each location between November 2019 and February 2020, recording a total of 2803 debris items over 36 survey events. Overall, piers had more than ten times the debris abundance of soft-sediment sites, and much higher proportion of debris types related to recreational fishing. Over half of the debris items in this study were plastic (65%), and approximately 70% of the total debris was classified as related to recreational fishing. This trait was most prominent in debris at sites closest to the estuary mouth, likely reflecting increased fishing activity in this area. This study indicates that policy makers and community groups in urbanised estuaries should focus monitoring, reduction, and remediation efforts near artificial structures such as piers, and that public awareness campaigns should target the behaviour of recreational users of these structures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:11:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7de8ca3c045e4c65b2c17cb8f749643a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:11:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-7de8ca3c045e4c65b2c17cb8f749643a2023-01-01T05:32:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011712Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuaryBrie A. SherowEmma L. JohnstonGraeme F. ClarkRecords of anthropogenic marine debris and the threats it poses are increasing worldwide, yet we know relatively little about the distribution of benthic debris. The seafloor is the final destination for a large proportion of debris due to the degradation and sinking of items. A more detailed understanding of debris distributions in hotspots such as urbanised estuaries can help decision makers target management and remediation activities. We selected sites frequented by fishers and boaters in Sydney Harbour, an urbanised estuary, to investigate the impacts of recreational activities on debris abundance. The aim of this study was to examine variation in macro debris (>5mm in diameter) type and abundance at two habitat types (piers and non-piers). We chose five locations at various distances from the estuary mouth. In each location SCUBA teams performed fixed transects at two sites, one under a pier and one over nearby soft-sediment habitat. Debris was recovered by the divers and brought to the surface for classification and disposal. Surveys were repeated multiple times at each location between November 2019 and February 2020, recording a total of 2803 debris items over 36 survey events. Overall, piers had more than ten times the debris abundance of soft-sediment sites, and much higher proportion of debris types related to recreational fishing. Over half of the debris items in this study were plastic (65%), and approximately 70% of the total debris was classified as related to recreational fishing. This trait was most prominent in debris at sites closest to the estuary mouth, likely reflecting increased fishing activity in this area. This study indicates that policy makers and community groups in urbanised estuaries should focus monitoring, reduction, and remediation efforts near artificial structures such as piers, and that public awareness campaigns should target the behaviour of recreational users of these structures.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9797093/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Brie A. Sherow Emma L. Johnston Graeme F. Clark Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary PLoS ONE |
| title | Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary |
| title_full | Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary |
| title_fullStr | Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary |
| title_short | Piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary |
| title_sort | piers are hotspots for benthic marine debris in an urbanised estuary |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9797093/?tool=EBI |
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