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Entanglement in marine debris has been internationally recognised as a potential threat to marine species. Sightings records and a photo identification catalogue from a haul out site in southwest England were used to establish entanglement records for grey seals Halichoerus grypus. Between 2004 and 2008 the annual mean entanglement rates varied fro...
Citations
... It endangers the survival and diversity of marine species [3,7]. Specifically, marine life dies of or is harmed by ingestion of marine debris or entanglement in abandoned fishing nets [8][9][10][11]. Laist [4] notes that marine debris, through ingestion and entanglement, affects a wide range of marine species, including sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. Kühn and Van Franeker [12] suggest that as many as 914 species are currently impacted by marine litter. ...
With a phenomenal amount of marine debris being retrieved from the coast and sea, an initiative to engage in marine debris recycling, particularly of plastic debris, has been on the governmental agenda in Taiwan in recent years. Consumers purchasing products made from marine debris is a critical driver behind this initiative. It is therefore important to understand the factors influencing consumers’ purchase intentions towards these products. By employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this paper aims to decode the factors and thereby infer potential measures to enhance consumers’ purchase intentions for these specific products in Taiwan, where recycling marine debris is at the beginning stage. By conducting a questionnaire survey, the study collected a total of 392 valid samples and found that a high percentage of respondents had not heard of marine debris labels as well as having never bought products made from marine debris. In addition, by testing the hypotheses using binary logit regression, the study found that ‘environmental attitude’, ‘perceived price’, ‘availability’, and ‘marine debris label’ were the major factors that significantly influenced consumers’ intentions to purchase these products. With a view to increasing market penetration of these products, this paper highlights the need to strengthen environmental education, subsidize manufacturers in the production of products, promote labels and enhance product availability, and enhance public participation in marine conservation activities.
... The ability and durability of fishing-related litter to travel long distances are important contributors to the high rate of entanglements in marine and freshwater species within them (Gall and Thompson, 2015). Entanglement in ALDFG is a primary cause of mortality for sea turtles (Duncan et al., 2017;Mghili et al., 2023a), cetaceans Mghili et al., 2023a), pinnipeds (Allen et al., 2012), fish (Perroca et al., 2022), seabirds (Nisanth and Biju, 2019;Costa et al., 2020), sharks (Parton et al., 2019), and invertebrates (Beneli et al., 2020;Stevens, 2021;Perroca et al., 2022) as well as freshwater animals (Spirkovski et al., 2019;Azevedo-Santos et al., 2021;Bharath et al., 2021;Blettler and Mitchell, 2021). In this study, land-based litter (plastic) constitutes a relatively low percentage of entanglements in India. ...
... [4][5][6] Driing plastics were reported accidental entanglements for marine animals, and caused the miss ingestion such as macro to micro/nano-particles for marine biota of whale to plankton has been reported. [7][8][9][10] Since the late 1980s, BPA contaminations have been detected in rivers, lakes and oceans. [11][12][13][14] BPA [2,2-bis(4hydroxyphenyl)propane] is material for PC and EPX, commercial production started in 1957 USA. ...
Analysis of pollution of the ocean plastics is presently being extensively carried out but special attention should be direct to matters. It is widely believed that plastic dose not decompose in the ocean. Certain contaminants, bisphenol-A (BPA) that serves the material for polycarbonate (PC) and epoxy resin (EPX) both of which may possibly be elute or degrade from commercial products, have often been detected in rivers, lakes and oceans. To clarify in detail the extend of this impact of this situation, purified PC (BPA free) was decomposed at temperatures range 50–230 °C. PC was seen to start decomposing at 50 °C over a 3 day period to generated 11 μg kg⁻¹ BPA. Based on the rate constants of BPA, the activation energy was calculated 42.0 kJ mol⁻¹. Since this value is almost same as the EPX and polystyrene (PS) of each decomposition. Based on the PC decomposition rate and the actual BPA value in the deep sea, the 280 million metric tons (MT) BPA in the world ocean was estimated. Unlike plastics, BPA shows endocrine disrupting in fish. It should thus be considered that degraded PC and EPX pose a serious threat to the marine ecosystem, directly.
... In many cases, the entangling item causes a constriction around the neck or body of the affected animal, which can be eventually fatal (Derraik 2002). In this sense, in a previous study 64% of entangled seals (58 specimens between 2004 and 2008) in the southwest UK presented injuries considered relevant (Allen et al. 2012). Moreover, the ingestion of a fish-hook can cause perforations in the digestive tract and may drive the death of the seal through either starvation, ulceration, blood loss or infection (Fowler 1987, Derraik 2002. ...
... In a study of 107 post-mortem examinations of grey seals in southwest England between 2013 and 2020, trauma was the most common primary pathological finding (45%) followed by infectious disease (34%; Barnett et al., 2021). Fisheries-related traumabycatch and entanglementwas suspected to be the primary pathological condition in 14% of seals examined and rates of entanglement in marine debris as high as 5% have been observed elsewhere in live grey seals in Cornwall (Allen et al., 2012). Approximately 81% of UK seal bycatch is known to occur in the southwest (SCOS, 2021). ...
Changes in abundance and distribution of marine top predators can indicate environmental change or anthropogenic pressure requiring management response. Here, we used an extensive dataset (21 years) to conduct a spatial and temporal analysis of grey seal strandings in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, close to the southern edge of the breeding range of the species. A total of 2007 strandings were reported from 2000 to 2020, increasing by 474% from 35 to 201 individuals per year during this period. The continued rise in strandings was consistent across all life stages and timeframes (5, 10 and 20 years), underpinning the suggestion of increasing abundance in the region. The observed seasonality differed by life stage, coinciding with the increased presence of animals near the coast for key life phases such as breeding, moulting and pupping. Strandings are widely distributed across the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; however, most strandings were recorded on the north coast of Cornwall (70%) where major pupping and haul out sites are found. Despite hosting several pupping and haul out sites, a small proportion was recorded on the Isles of Scilly (5%) where it is thought that strandings are particularly underreported. Describing baselines in magnitude of strandings and life-stage compositions across space and time allows future deviations in frequency, demographic composition or spatial distribution to be detected and investigated. We demonstrate the utility of long-term citizen science data to provide valuable and cost-effective information on the distribution and abundance of a highly mobile marine mammal.
... Over the last decade, the number of marine species affected by fishing gear in the oceans has increased (Laist, 1997;Ryan et al., 2009). For example, fishing nets alone are responsible for 45-93 % of seal entanglements (Allen et al., 2012;Laist, 1997;McIntosh et al., 2015). The negative effects of debris are also felt by the shipping and fishing industries. ...
To mitigate marine debris and promote sustainable marine industries, legislation and regulations surrounding the management of marine debris have been adopted worldwide. One of the most well-known and important agreements is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which focuses on reducing all types of ship-sourced marine pollution. MARPOL Annex V, which deals with the disposal of solid waste, came into force on 31 December 1988. However, was only amended to include a complete ban on waste disposal as of 1 January 2013. Assessing the effectiveness of key regulations is fundamental for supporting evidence-based decisions regarding the management of our oceans. Here, we evaluated whether MARPOL Annex V translated into a decrease in the incidence of shipping-and commercial fishing-sourced debris on remote beaches in Australia using 14 years of standardised, community-driven data. From 2006 to 2020 there was a significant change over time in the density of fishing and shipping debris on Australian beaches; debris density increased up to 2013 followed by a decrease until mid-2017. Although the new regulation started in January 2013, the decrease in density was not recorded until one year later. The decline was only observed for 4 years, reinforcing the existence of lags between the implementation of international agreements and the corresponding potential reduction in debris in the environment. This provides compelling evidence that international agreements and policies by themselves are not enough to solve the debris problem, with improved implementation and enforcement also required. We discuss future perspectives and solutions to reduce ocean-sourced litter inputs into the ocean and highlight the urgent need for action.
... If left on the beach, these new smaller fragments would continue to break into smaller and smaller pieces Photos: K. Berry Plastics due to drowning (e.g. Allen et al. 2012). Plastic debris may cause additional physical harm to marine habitats and sessile benthic organisms (e.g. ...
... Interaction with fishing, pollution, toxic chemical pollutants, human commercial hunting and heavy vessel traffic constitute threats to grey seals (Fietz et al., 2016;Nunny et al., 2018;Sayer et al., 2021;Desclos-Dukes et al., 2022). Entanglement in marine litter is also an issue for grey seals (Allen et al., 2012). The threat of climate change is also a long-term threat to the seal population (Fietz et al., 2016). ...
A grey seal Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791) has been recorded in the Moroccan Mediterranean in March 6th, 2022. This is the first documented case of the presence of grey seal in the Alboran Sea. It is an adult male of 180-200 cm in length. This individual likely came from the North Atlantic and entered through the Gibraltar Strait. The Al Hoceima National Park is characterized by the presence of a portion of wild rocky coast, little exploited. The habitat requirements of the grey seal and the monk seal are very similar: both species utilize coastal rocky shores and caverns. Thus, the presence of a grey seal in this area indicates that the area may be suitable for the future recolonization of monk seals (Monachus monachus) in the Moroccan Mediterranean that has disappeared in Al Hoceima National Park.
... Time and distance were not used in this analysis to adjust for effort. 2003, 2012, 201714 Alderdice 2002, 2003, 2013, 2015, 201725 Bouma 2013, 2015, 201615 Bright 2003, 2012, 2015, 201721 Bryant 2015, 20167 EFGB 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019105 Elvers 2013, 2015, 2016, 201732 Geyer 2004, 201215 Horseshoe 2004, 2011, 201514 MacNeil 2009, 20178 McGrail 2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 201742 Parker 2013, 2015, 2016, 201739 Rankin 2012, 201515 Rezak 2013, 2015, 201618 Sidner 2013, 2015, 201615 Sonnier 2002, 2013, 201713 Stetson 2003, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 201973 WFGB 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012 ANOVA assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance were assessed with the Kolmogorov test. Because data failed the assumptions of normal distribution, nonparametric tests were used for the statistical analyses of the two types of data, count and encounter rate. ...
... Time and distance were not used in this analysis to adjust for effort. 2003, 2012, 201714 Alderdice 2002, 2003, 2013, 2015, 201725 Bouma 2013, 2015, 201615 Bright 2003, 2012, 2015, 201721 Bryant 2015, 20167 EFGB 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019105 Elvers 2013, 2015, 2016, 201732 Geyer 2004, 201215 Horseshoe 2004, 2011, 201514 MacNeil 2009, 20178 McGrail 2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 201742 Parker 2013, 2015, 2016, 201739 Rankin 2012, 201515 Rezak 2013, 2015, 201618 Sidner 2013, 2015, 201615 Sonnier 2002, 2013, 201713 Stetson 2003, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 201973 WFGB 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012 ANOVA assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance were assessed with the Kolmogorov test. Because data failed the assumptions of normal distribution, nonparametric tests were used for the statistical analyses of the two types of data, count and encounter rate. ...
... Time and distance were not used in this analysis to adjust for effort. 2003, 2012, 201714 Alderdice 2002, 2003, 2013, 2015, 201725 Bouma 2013, 2015, 201615 Bright 2003, 2012, 2015, 201721 Bryant 2015, 20167 EFGB 2002, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019105 Elvers 2013, 2015, 2016, 201732 Geyer 2004, 201215 Horseshoe 2004, 2011, 201514 MacNeil 2009, 20178 McGrail 2002, 2003, 2009, 2013, 201742 Parker 2013, 2015, 2016, 201739 Rankin 2012, 201515 Rezak 2013, 2015, 201618 Sidner 2013, 2015, 201615 Sonnier 2002, 2013, 201713 Stetson 2003, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 201973 WFGB 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012 ANOVA assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variance were assessed with the Kolmogorov test. Because data failed the assumptions of normal distribution, nonparametric tests were used for the statistical analyses of the two types of data, count and encounter rate. ...
This report assesses marine debris in and around the recently expanded Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary by determining the spatial distribution, abundance, and composition of litter. Data were primarily compiled from exploratory dives in mesophotic depths (34–150 m) carried out by a remotely operated vehicle over the course of two decades. A total of 485 debris items were identified and binned into categories based on type. The composition of benthic marine debris reflected the heavy influence of local fishing activities, with derelict fishing gear
the predominant debris type in the study area, comprising 63.7% of all litter. Anchoring produced the second largest contribution of benthic debris, representing 18.2% of observations. Marine debris in sensitive benthic habitats contributes to the vulnerability of these ecosystems via ingestion by and entanglement of motile species, and smothering and physical damage to sessile organisms. This report serves as a baseline evaluation of benthic marine debris in the sanctuary and provides a spatial and quantitative assessment that can be used in future efforts
to target debris removal and research.
... Moreover, plastic ingestion can cause suffocation and mechanical blockage with a consequent accumulation of plastics within the gastrointestinal tract (Lusher et al., 2015;Jâms et al., 2020) and also cause several ecotoxicological effects on freshwater biota (Anbumani and Kakkar, 2018;de Sá et al., 2018;Binelli et al., 2022). The entanglement by MA occurs when plastics entrap animals, causing a loss of mobility and also strangulation and suffocation (Allen et al., 2012;Blettler and Mitchell, 2021;Andrades et al., 2021). ...
While rivers are known to be the main vectors of plastics to the sea, it seems surprising that studies on interactions (e.g. colonisation/entrapment and drift) between macroplastics and biota continue to remain largely neglected, notwithstanding they represent unexpected threats to freshwater biota and riverine habitats. To fill these gaps, here we focused on the colonisation of plastic bottles by freshwater biota. To do so, we collected 100 plastic bottles from the River Tiber in summer 2021. Overall, 95 bottles were colonised externally and 23 internally. Specifically, biota mainly occurred within and outside the bottles rather than plastic pieces and organic debris. Moreover, while bottles were externally covered mainly by vegetal organisms (i.e. macrophytes), they internally entrapped more animal organisms (i.e. invertebrates). The taxa most occurring within and outside the bottles belonged to pool and low water quality-associated taxa (e.g. Lemna sp., Gastropoda, and Diptera). In addition to biota and organic debris, plastic particles also occurred on bottles reporting the first observation of 'metaplastics' (i.e. plastics encrusted on bottles). Furthermore, we observed a significant positive correlation between the colonising taxa abundance and the bottle degree degradation. In this regard, we discussed how bottle buoyancy may change due to the organic matter on the bottle, affecting bottle sinking and transport along rivers. Our findings might be crucial for understanding the underrepresented topic of riverine plastics and their colonisation by biota, given that these plastics may act as vectors and cause biogeographical, environmental, and conservation issues to freshwater habitats.
