RT journal article
T1 Plastic accumulation in the Mediterranean Sea
A1 Cózar Cabañas, Andrés
A1 Sanz Martin, M.
A1 Martí Morales, Elisa
A1 González Gordillo, Juan Ignacio
A1 Úbeda, B.
A1 Galvez, J.A.
A1 Irigoien, X.
A1 Duarte, C.M.
A2 Biología
K1 marine debris
K1 subtropical gyre
K1 floating debris
K1 pacific-ocean
K1 environment
K1 surface
K1 fish
K1 microplastics
K1 abundance
K1 chemicals
AB Concentrations of floating plastic were measured throughout the Mediterranean Sea to assess whether this basin can be regarded as a great accumulation region of plastic debris. We found that the average density of plastic (1 item per 4 m2), as well as its frequency of occurrence (100% of the sites sampled), are comparable to the accumulation zones described for the five subtropical ocean gyres. Plastic debris in the Mediterranean surface waters was dominated by millimeter-sized fragments, but showed a higher proportion of large plastic objects than that present in oceanic gyres, reflecting the closer connection with pollution sources. The accumulation of floating plastic in the Mediterranean Sea (between 1,000 and 3,000 tons) is likely related to the high human pressure together with the hydrodynamics of this semi-enclosed basin, with outflow mainly occurring through a deep water layer. Given the biological richness and concentration of economic activities in the Mediterranean Sea, the affects of plastic pollution on marine and human life are expected to be particularly frequent in this plastic accumulation region.
YR 2015
FD 2015-04-01
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/19687
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/19687
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 15-nov-2026