Marine debris on two Arctic beaches in the Russian Far East

• Published in: Polar Research
• Main Author: Kylin, Henrik
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Tema Miljöförändring 2020
• Subjects: Plastic debris; Chukchi Sea; Chukchi Peninsula; Kolyuchin Bay; Wrangel Island; pollution; Environmental Sciences; Miljövetenskap; Oceanography; Hydrology and Water Resources; Oceanografi; hydrologi och vattenresurser; Ecology; Ekologi; Arctic; Chukchi; Polar Research; Tundra
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-166368; https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v39.3381

In August 2005, marine debris was counted on two Arctic beaches in the RussianFar East. On the north coast of the Chukchi Peninsula east of Kolyuchin Bay,a beach stretch of ca. 2.4 km held a total of 736 items, 0.024 items m‑2, while nomore than 0.0011 items m‑2, 12 items in total, were found on a beach stretch ofca. 1.2 km on southern Wrangel Island. The likely explanation for this differenceis that the area around the mainland beach is ice-free for a longer period each year, but a contributing factor may be that late spring ice movement removed plastic from the beach on Wrangel Island. The language on the few items with identifiable labels was for the most part Russian or English, making the Chukchi Sea a possible source region. Beaches at the same latitude in the Atlantic mayhold more debris on account of the higher human population density, moreshipping and transport of floating debris unhindered by a narrow strait that isice-covered much of the year. Fishing gear blown across the tundra is suggestedas a potential threat to reindeer and other terrestrial wildlife.