| Summary: | Verkefnið er lokað til 19.09.2024 Marine litter has become a global environmental issue with increasing evidence of its impact on the world's oceans and coastal areas. This study focuses on the distribution and composition of marine litter in three regions of Iceland - Southwest, Westfjords, and Northeast - and marine litter as a vector for fouling species. The results of this study demonstrate that plastic litter was the most abundant type of fouled and non-fouled marine litter found. Most pollution found on the beaches surveyed was from land-based sources, while most fouled litter collected was from sea-based sources. Over 79,000 individuals belonging to at least 92 species were found on fouled litter at the eight sites surveyed. The Southwest region had the highest abundance and the most fouled litter collected. However, the Westfjords had the highest diversity and species evenness. Phyla of the fouling species found were Annelida, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Chordata, Cnidaria, and Mollusca. Cnidaria had the highest fouling percentage in the Southwest and Northeast regions. However, Annelida had the highest fouling percentage in the Westfjords. Statistical data analysis also found significant relationships between species richness and region, abundance and region, material type, and surface rugosity and thickness. The findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of marine litter in Iceland and implementing effective management strategies to reduce its impact on the marine and coastal environment. Rusl í hafi er orðið alþjóðlegt umhverfisvandamál með auknum vísbendingum um áhrif þess á heimshöf og strandsvæði. Í þessari rannsókn er sjónum beint að sjávarrusli sem flutningsmáta fyrir ásetutegundir (e. fouling species) sem og dreifingu og samsetningu þess á þremur landssvæðum - Suðvesturlandi, Vestfjörðum og Norðausturlandi. Niðurstöður þessarar rannsóknar sýna að plastrusl var algengasta gerð sjávarrusls sem fannst, hvort sem það var með ásetur eða ekki. Uppruni þess rusls sem fannst á ströndum var ...
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