scholarly journals Marine Litter Windrows: A Strategic Target to Understand and Manage the Ocean Plastic Pollution

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Cózar ◽  
Stefano Aliani ◽  
Oihane C. Basurko ◽  
Manuel Arias ◽  
Atsuhiko Isobe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spots ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Large Item ◽  
Marine Life ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Methodological Approaches

Windrow is a long-established term for the aggregations of seafoam, seaweeds, plankton and natural debris that appear on the ocean surface. Here, we define a “litter windrow” as any aggregation of floating litter at the submesoscale domain (<10 km horizontally), regardless of the force inducing the surface convergence, be it wind or other forces such as tides or density-driven currents. The marine litter windrows observed to date usually form stripes from tens up to thousands of meters long, with litter densities often exceeding 10 small items (<2 cm) per m2 or 1 large item (>2 cm) per 10 m2. Litter windrows are generally overlooked in research due to their dispersion, small size and ephemeral nature. However, applied research on windrows offers unique possibilities to advance on the knowledge and management of marine litter pollution. Litter windrows are hot spots of interaction with marine life. In addition, since the formation of dense litter windrows requires especially high loads of floating litter in the environment, their detection from space-borne sensors, aerial surveys or other platforms might be used to flag areas and periods of severe pollution. Monitoring and assessing of management plans, identification of pollution sources, or impact prevention are identified as some of the most promising fields of application for the marine litter windrows. In the present Perspective, we develop a conceptual framework and point out the main obstacles, opportunities and methodological approaches to address the study of litter windrows.

scholarly journals Floating Marine Litter in Eastern Mediterranean From Macro to Microplastics: The Lebanese Coastal Area as a Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharif Jemaa ◽  
Celine Mahfouz ◽  
Maria Kazour ◽  
Myriam Lteif ◽  
Abed El Rahman Hassoun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marine Environment ◽  
Coastal Area ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Pollution Load Index ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Despite emerging and increasing concerns related to marine micro and macroplastics, no systematic surveys have been undertaken yet in the Lebanese marine area. To understand the spatio-temporal variation of plastic litter (macro and microplastics) in the Lebanese marine environment and to determine the sources of pollution, this study investigated the characteristics of plastic pollution in sea surface waters during wet and dry seasons in 22 sites of Beirut and Tyre regions. A total of 23,023 items were identified and assessed according to the shape, color, and concentration; moreover, the risk of microplastics (MPs) contamination was explored based on a risk assessment model. The obtained results demonstrated that the average macroplastics concentration was 0.45 ± 0.6 items/m3. The average microplastics concentration was found to be 20.1 ± 21.8 and 3.78 ± 5.2 items/m3 in spring and fall respectively. During fall, MPs fragments were dominant in Beirut (97%) and Tyre (91%), and no pellets were observed. During spring, filaments were most encountered in Beirut (76.5%). The most dominant marine litter color was blue followed by black and white. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) values showed a moderate contamination of the Lebanese coast with MPs (PLI: 5.79 ± 3.93) except for several sites in Beirut that showed high values of PLI, highlighting the local influence of cities and rivers on MPs concentration. This study serves as an important baseline for understanding the characteristics of the seasonal variation of MPs along the Lebanese marine environment; it will help stakeholders and countries to take proactive and reactive actions to face plastic litter pollution in the Lebanese coastal area.

scholarly journals Liability and Compensation for Marine Plastic Pollution: Conceptual Issues and Possible Ways Forward

AJIL Unbound ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 206-211
Author(s):  
Sandrine Maljean-Dubois ◽  
Benoît Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
General Assembly ◽  
Expert Group ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Un General Assembly ◽  
Conceptual Problems

The UN General Assembly and the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) have expressed concerns about the pollution of the sea by plastics, which adversely impacts ecosystems, some economic activities (e.g., tourism and fishing), and possibly public health (e.g., consumption of contaminated fish). In December 2017, the UNEA decided to establish the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics to examine ways to combat marine plastic pollution. The group met three times in 2018 and 2019, and at least two more meetings are planned. Among potential responses to the issue of marine pollution, the group briefly considered—but eventually dismissed—the possibility of creating a liability or compensation regime. This essay evaluates the prospects for such a regime. As the essay will show, compensation faces significant conceptual problems, not the least of which is the absence of an obvious recipient. However, some form of liability could be imposed on corporations that produce plastic, or on states that fail to regulate them. Such a liability regime, even without financial compensation, could foster the prevention of further marine plastic pollution.

scholarly journals Mobilizing the Synergy Potential of Digital Platform in Managerial Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 126-133
Author(s):  
V. G. Antonov ◽  
A. V. Raychenko ◽  
V. V. Maslennikov
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Digital Platform ◽  
Science And Education ◽  
Digital Strategy ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Definition Of

The article studies modernization of digital platform potential in order to coordinate interaction of practice, science and education in the field of management. The key focus is made on the fact that as a result of digital organization development the role of virtual space becomes prevailing in managers’ work and nearly all traditional methods of management undergo drastic changes. Unique processes of managing digital organizations require revision of methodological approaches to the problem of sustainable development in conditions of digital transformation, which mainly has a turbulent character. It is underlined that the major problem of today’s management is the vague definition of different notions, whose understanding is crucial for managers, who otherwise cannot link digital strategy with their work. The article used materials and findings of fundamental and applied research done by authors within the frames of budget, business and initiative development of innovation, industrial and educational products. Testing of these solutions proved their need in the field of practical management, scientific research and managerial education.

Approaches for sediment associated pollutant monitoring in the River Danube

1994 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Literathy ◽  
Ferenc Laszlo ◽  
Bela Csanyi
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spots ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Representative Sampling ◽  
Biological Stress ◽  
Chemical Measurements ◽  
Downstream Reach ◽  
Selection Of

Inorganic and organic pollutants (nutrients and toxic pollutants) are liable to accumulate in suspended and bottom sediments. The major transport of these pollutants takes place in the suspended load. Sedimentation and resuspension are in dynamic equilibrium along the river influenced mainly by physical processes. International and national surveys on the Danube sediment concluded that the Danube reach between Vienna and Budapest is one of the most polluted ones in addition to the Irongate reservoir and the downstream reach. The main polluting compounds are petroleum hydrocarbons, including PAHs, and heavy metals. Reservoirs are the major traps of sediment-bound pollutants where pollutant “time-bombs” may be developed. Pollutant monitoring of the bottom sediment requires careful selection of the representative sampling sites where the sediment contains at least 10 percent clay and silt which is enriched in pollutants. Mobilization of the sediment-bound pollutants will result in biological uptake by the benthic organisms. The macrozoobenthons monitoring provides valuable evidence for chronic biological stress associated with contaminated sites. Benthic biodiversity decreased along the studied Danube reach downstream of recognized hot spots such as major cities (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest) and polluted tributaries (the Vah river, etc.). Harmonization between chemical measurements and biological observations in the sediment could eventually lead to an effective Danube pollution monitoring system.

The generation of marine litter in Mediterranean island beaches as an effect of tourism and its mitigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Grelaud ◽  
Patrizia Ziveri
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Plastic Material ◽  
Sandy Beaches ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
The World ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
The Mediterranean

<p>With a coastal population of nearly 150 million inhabitants, the influx of freshwater from densely populated river catchments and a contribution to 30% of the global shipping activity, the Mediterranean Sea has been recognized as one of the world most affected areas by marine litter. Moreover, the countries surrounding the region yearly attract about one third of the world tourism. Taken together, these pressures make this semi-enclosed sea an accumulation zone for marine litter. This high contamination goes hand to hand with a stream of adverse effects to marine ecosystems, public health or socio-economic costs. The beaches are one of the main land-based sources for litter to enter the oceans. The Mediterranean Sea is not an exception as during the summer, the beaches are a hotspot for leisure. This is particularly true for the Mediterranean islands, which due to their attractiveness will host a far greater population during the summer. In this study we evaluate the seasonal variation of marine litter as an effect of tourism on sandy beaches of Mediterranean islands and we assess the effectiveness of pilot actions in order to reduce the amount of marine litter.</p><p>147 surveys were conducted in 2017 during both the low and high touristic season. For each of the eight participating islands (Mallorca, Sicily, Rab, Malta, Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes and Cyprus), three different beaches were selected: a touristic beach, a beach mainly used by locals and a remote beach. For each beach, a periodic monitoring was performed on the same fixed 100m portion. Here, any item found was collected, characterized and properly disposed of. We included the mesoplastics (0.5 – 2.5cm), large microplastics (0.1 – 0.5cm) and pellets (raw plastic material). In 2019, a monitoring of 11 of the selected beaches was conducted following the implementation of pilot actions (mainly awareness campaigns). To test their effectiveness, the results are compared to those of 2017.</p><p>Our results show that tourism in Mediterranean island beaches is a main driver of marine litter generation. Popular beaches (touristic and locals) are clearly the most impacted sites. Every day, during the high touristic season peak (July-August), visitors will leave (i.e.: cigarette butts, drink can, etc.) or generate (i.e.: MePs and MPs) 950 – 1190 items on every 100m of beach. This amount falls to 60 items for the remote beaches. At the region scale, we estimated that during July-August, visitors could be responsible for the accumulation of about 47.5 10<sup>6</sup> ± 13.5 10<sup>6</sup> items/day on the beaches of the Mediterranean islands.</p><p>The awareness campaigns is an efficient tool to reduce the amount of litter generated by visitors on the beaches. We observed an average decrease of 52.5% of the accumulation of the items abandoned by the visitors after the implementation of the pilot actions. These encouraging results probably benefit from the growing attention of the public to the plastic pollution issue. However, this reduction has a price: the average cost of the pilot actions for the whole high season would be of 111.6 k€ per km of beach.</p>

scholarly journals Investigating zinc toxicity responses in marine Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus

Microbiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 167 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Indrani Sarker ◽  
Lisa R. Moore ◽  
Sasha G. Tetu
Keyword(s):  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Zinc Toxicity ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marine Life ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Oxygenic Phototrophs

Marine plastic pollution is a growing concern worldwide and has the potential to impact marine life via leaching of chemicals, with zinc (Zn), a common plastic additive, observed at particularly high levels in plastic leachates in previous studies. At this time, however, little is known regarding how elevated Zn affects key groups of marine primary producers. Marine cyanobacterial genera Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are considered to be some of the most abundant oxygenic phototrophs on earth, and together contribute significantly to oceanic primary productivity. Here we set out to investigate how two Prochlorococcus (MIT9312 and NATL2A) and two Synechococcus (CC9311 and WH8102) strains, representative of diverse ecological niches, respond to exposure to high Zn concentrations. The two genera showed differences in the timing and degree of growth and physiological responses to elevated Zn levels, with Prochlorococcus strains showing declines in their growth rate and photophysiology following exposure to 27 µg l−1 Zn, while Synechococcus CC9311 and WH8102 growth rates declined significantly on exposure to 52 and 152 µg l−1 Zn, respectively. Differences were also observed in each strain’s capacity to maintain cell wall integrity on exposure to different levels of Zn. Our results indicate that excess Zn has the potential to pose a challenge to some marine picocyanobacteria and highlights the need to better understand how different marine Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus strains may respond to increasing concentrations of Zn in some marine regions.

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