Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones
Global coastlines potentially contain significant amounts of plastic debris, with harmful implications for marine and coastal ecosystems, fisheries and tourism. However, the global amount, distribution and origin of plastic debris on beaches and in coastal waters is currently unknown. Here we analyz...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abecbd |
| _version_ | 1797747735582998528 |
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| author | Victor Onink Cleo E Jongedijk Matthew J Hoffman Erik van Sebille Charlotte Laufkötter |
| author_facet | Victor Onink Cleo E Jongedijk Matthew J Hoffman Erik van Sebille Charlotte Laufkötter |
| author_sort | Victor Onink |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Global coastlines potentially contain significant amounts of plastic debris, with harmful implications for marine and coastal ecosystems, fisheries and tourism. However, the global amount, distribution and origin of plastic debris on beaches and in coastal waters is currently unknown. Here we analyze beaching and resuspension scenarios using a Lagrangian particle transport model. Throughout the first 5 years after entering the ocean, the model indicates that at least 77% of positively buoyant marine plastic debris (PBMPD) released from land-based sources is either beached or floating in coastal waters, assuming no further plastic removal from beaches or the ocean surface. The highest concentrations of beached PBMPD are found in Southeast Asia, caused by high plastic inputs from land and limited offshore transport, although the absolute concentrations are generally overestimates compared to field measurements. The modeled distribution on a global scale is only weakly influenced by local variations in resuspension rates due to coastal geomorphology. Furthermore, there are striking differences regarding the origin of the beached plastic debris. In some exclusive economic zones (EEZ), such as the Indonesian Archipelago, plastic originates almost entirely from within the EEZ while in other EEZs, particularly remote islands, almost all beached plastic debris arrives from remote sources. Our results highlight coastlines and coastal waters as important reservoirs of marine plastic debris and limited transport of PBMPD between the coastal zone and the open ocean. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:55:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e4a8e58f2e04ba48f4075c370045a16 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:55:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e4a8e58f2e04ba48f4075c370045a162023-08-09T14:57:03ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262021-01-0116606405310.1088/1748-9326/abecbdGlobal simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zonesVictor Onink0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4177-9893Cleo E Jongedijk1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9847-5212Matthew J Hoffman2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9430-005XErik van Sebille3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2041-0704Charlotte Laufkötter4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5738-1121Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland; Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University , Utrecht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London , London, United KingdomSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology , Rochester, NY, United States of AmericaInstitute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Utrecht University , Utrecht, The NetherlandsClimate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern , Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern , Bern, SwitzerlandGlobal coastlines potentially contain significant amounts of plastic debris, with harmful implications for marine and coastal ecosystems, fisheries and tourism. However, the global amount, distribution and origin of plastic debris on beaches and in coastal waters is currently unknown. Here we analyze beaching and resuspension scenarios using a Lagrangian particle transport model. Throughout the first 5 years after entering the ocean, the model indicates that at least 77% of positively buoyant marine plastic debris (PBMPD) released from land-based sources is either beached or floating in coastal waters, assuming no further plastic removal from beaches or the ocean surface. The highest concentrations of beached PBMPD are found in Southeast Asia, caused by high plastic inputs from land and limited offshore transport, although the absolute concentrations are generally overestimates compared to field measurements. The modeled distribution on a global scale is only weakly influenced by local variations in resuspension rates due to coastal geomorphology. Furthermore, there are striking differences regarding the origin of the beached plastic debris. In some exclusive economic zones (EEZ), such as the Indonesian Archipelago, plastic originates almost entirely from within the EEZ while in other EEZs, particularly remote islands, almost all beached plastic debris arrives from remote sources. Our results highlight coastlines and coastal waters as important reservoirs of marine plastic debris and limited transport of PBMPD between the coastal zone and the open ocean.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abecbdocean modelingmarine plastic pollutionLagrangian modelingglobal ocean plastic transportbeached marine plastic |
| spellingShingle | Victor Onink Cleo E Jongedijk Matthew J Hoffman Erik van Sebille Charlotte Laufkötter Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones Environmental Research Letters ocean modeling marine plastic pollution Lagrangian modeling global ocean plastic transport beached marine plastic |
| title | Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones |
| title_full | Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones |
| title_fullStr | Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones |
| title_short | Global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones |
| title_sort | global simulations of marine plastic transport show plastic trapping in coastal zones |
| topic | ocean modeling marine plastic pollution Lagrangian modeling global ocean plastic transport beached marine plastic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abecbd |
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