Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach
The Mediterranean Sea is greatly affected by marine litter. In this area, research on the impact of plastic debris (including microplastics) on biota, particularly large filter-feeding species such as the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), is still in its infancy. We investigated the possible overla...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1008476 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167/full |
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ftunivsiena:oai:usiena-air.unisi.it:11365/1008476 2024-04-14T08:09:30+00:00 Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach Fossi, Maria Cristina Romeo, Teresa Baini, Matteo Panti, Cristina Marsili, Letizia Campani, Tommaso Canese, Simonepietro Galgani, François Druon, Jean-Noël Airoldi, Sabina Taddei, Stefano Fattorini, Maria Brandini, Carlo Lapucci, Chiara Fossi, Maria Cristina Romeo, Teresa Baini, Matteo Panti, Cristina Marsili, Letizia Campani, Tommaso Canese, Simonepietro Galgani, Françoi Druon, Jean-Noël Airoldi, Sabina Taddei, Stefano Fattorini, Maria Brandini, Carlo Lapucci, Chiara 2017 ELETTRONICO http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1008476 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167/full eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000457690600167 volume:4 issue:Issue May journal:FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1008476 doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85020098622 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167/full file:///D:/Documents/Progetti/Accobams/Paper/Frontiers Author's Proof.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess floating plastic debris microplastics Mediterranean Sea convergence areas modeling fin whales Marine Protected Area info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2017 ftunivsiena https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 2024-03-21T15:59:58Z The Mediterranean Sea is greatly affected by marine litter. In this area, research on the impact of plastic debris (including microplastics) on biota, particularly large filter-feeding species such as the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), is still in its infancy. We investigated the possible overlap between microplastic, mesoplastic and macrolitter accumulation areas and the fin whale feeding grounds in in a pelagic Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI): the Pelagos Sanctuary. Models of ocean circulation and fin whale potential habitat were merged to compare marine litter accumulation with the presence of whales. Additionally, field data on microplastics, mesoplastics, and macrolitter abundance and cetacean presence were simultaneously collected. The resulting data were compared, as a multi-layer, with the simulated distribution of plastic concentration and the whale habitat model. These data showed a high occurrence of microplastics (mean: 0.082 items/m2 , STD ± 0.079 items/m2) spatial distribution agreed with our modeling results. Areas with high microplastic density significantly overlapped with areas of high macroplastic density. The most abundant polymer detected in all the sampling sites was polyethylene (PE), suggesting fragmentation of larger packaging items as the primary source. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the Pelagos Sanctuary in which the simulated microplastic distribution has been confirmed by field observations. The overlap between the fin whale feeding habitat and the microplastic hot spots is an important contribution for risk assessment of fin whale exposure to microplastics. Article in Journal/Newspaper Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air Frontiers in Marine Science 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air |
op_collection_id |
ftunivsiena |
language |
English |
topic |
floating plastic debris microplastics Mediterranean Sea convergence areas modeling fin whales Marine Protected Area |
spellingShingle |
floating plastic debris microplastics Mediterranean Sea convergence areas modeling fin whales Marine Protected Area Fossi, Maria Cristina Romeo, Teresa Baini, Matteo Panti, Cristina Marsili, Letizia Campani, Tommaso Canese, Simonepietro Galgani, François Druon, Jean-Noël Airoldi, Sabina Taddei, Stefano Fattorini, Maria Brandini, Carlo Lapucci, Chiara Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach |
topic_facet |
floating plastic debris microplastics Mediterranean Sea convergence areas modeling fin whales Marine Protected Area |
description |
The Mediterranean Sea is greatly affected by marine litter. In this area, research on the impact of plastic debris (including microplastics) on biota, particularly large filter-feeding species such as the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), is still in its infancy. We investigated the possible overlap between microplastic, mesoplastic and macrolitter accumulation areas and the fin whale feeding grounds in in a pelagic Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI): the Pelagos Sanctuary. Models of ocean circulation and fin whale potential habitat were merged to compare marine litter accumulation with the presence of whales. Additionally, field data on microplastics, mesoplastics, and macrolitter abundance and cetacean presence were simultaneously collected. The resulting data were compared, as a multi-layer, with the simulated distribution of plastic concentration and the whale habitat model. These data showed a high occurrence of microplastics (mean: 0.082 items/m2 , STD ± 0.079 items/m2) spatial distribution agreed with our modeling results. Areas with high microplastic density significantly overlapped with areas of high macroplastic density. The most abundant polymer detected in all the sampling sites was polyethylene (PE), suggesting fragmentation of larger packaging items as the primary source. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the Pelagos Sanctuary in which the simulated microplastic distribution has been confirmed by field observations. The overlap between the fin whale feeding habitat and the microplastic hot spots is an important contribution for risk assessment of fin whale exposure to microplastics. |
author2 |
Fossi, Maria Cristina Romeo, Teresa Baini, Matteo Panti, Cristina Marsili, Letizia Campani, Tommaso Canese, Simonepietro Galgani, Françoi Druon, Jean-Noël Airoldi, Sabina Taddei, Stefano Fattorini, Maria Brandini, Carlo Lapucci, Chiara |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Fossi, Maria Cristina Romeo, Teresa Baini, Matteo Panti, Cristina Marsili, Letizia Campani, Tommaso Canese, Simonepietro Galgani, François Druon, Jean-Noël Airoldi, Sabina Taddei, Stefano Fattorini, Maria Brandini, Carlo Lapucci, Chiara |
author_facet |
Fossi, Maria Cristina Romeo, Teresa Baini, Matteo Panti, Cristina Marsili, Letizia Campani, Tommaso Canese, Simonepietro Galgani, François Druon, Jean-Noël Airoldi, Sabina Taddei, Stefano Fattorini, Maria Brandini, Carlo Lapucci, Chiara |
author_sort |
Fossi, Maria Cristina |
title |
Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach |
title_short |
Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach |
title_full |
Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach |
title_fullStr |
Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach |
title_full_unstemmed |
Plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the Mediterranean marine protected area Pelagos Sanctuary: a modeling approach |
title_sort |
plastic debris occurrence, convergence areas and fin whales feeding ground in the mediterranean marine protected area pelagos sanctuary: a modeling approach |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1008476 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167/full |
genre |
Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale |
genre_facet |
Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000457690600167 volume:4 issue:Issue May journal:FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1008476 doi:10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85020098622 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167/full file:///D:/Documents/Progetti/Accobams/Paper/Frontiers Author's Proof.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00167 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
4 |
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1796306998579429376 |