Sources, pathways, and abatement strategies of macroplastic pollution: an interdisciplinary approach for the southern North Sea

Frontiers in Marine Science

Marine Science

Michelle Albinus¹  Jens Meyerjürgens¹  Karsten A. Lettmann¹  Holger Freund¹  Thomas H. Badewien¹  Jörg-Olaf Wolff¹  Florian Hahner¹  Rosanna I. Schöneich-Argent¹  Oliver Zielinski²  Christian Aden³  Peter Schaal³  Ingo Mose³  Johna Barrelet³  Emil V. Stanev⁴  Marcel Ricker⁴ 

[1] Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany;Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany;Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW), Rostock, Germany;Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany;Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany;

关键词: floating marine litter;    abatement measures;    stakeholder interactions;    numerical modelling;    German Bight;    coastal ecosystem;    drifters;    citizen science;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmars.2023.1148714

 received in 2023-01-20, accepted in 2023-04-11,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The issue of marine plastic pollution has been extensively studied by various scientific disciplines in recent decades due to its global threat. However, owing to its complexity, it requires an interdisciplinary approach to develop effective management strategies. The multidisciplinary scientific approach presented here focuses on understanding the sources and pathways of macroplastic litter and developing abatement strategies in the southern North Sea region. Over 2.5 years, more than 63,400 biodegradable wooden drifters were deployed with the help of citizen science to study the sources, pathways, and accumulation areas of floating marine litter. Rivers act as sinks of most of the floating marine litter released within their waterways. Short-term field experiments were also conducted to analyse the hydrodynamic and atmospheric processes that govern the transport of floating litter particles at the sea surface. Numerical models were used to examine the transport of virtual litter particles in the entire North Sea and in coastal regions. It was found that there are no permanent accumulation areas in the North Sea, and the Skagerrak and fronts can increase the residence times of floating marine litter and favour sinking. Field surveys revealed that the majority of litter objects originate from fisheries and consumer waste. To develop effective abatement strategies, the key stakeholder landscape was analysed on a regional level. The interdisciplinary approach developed in this study highlights the importance of synergizing scientific resources from multiple disciplines for a better understanding of marine plastic pollution and the development of effective management strategies.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Meyerjürgens, Ricker, Aden, Albinus, Barrelet, Freund, Hahner, Lettmann, Mose, Schaal, Schöneich-Argent, Stanev, Wolff, Zielinski and Badewien