Distribution of floating marine macro-litter in relation to oceanographic characteristics in the Russian Arctic Seas

Maria Pogojeva; Igor Zhdanov; Anfisa Berezina; Artem Lapenkov; Denis Kosmach; Alexander Osadchiev; Georg Hanke; Igor Semiletov; Evgeniy Yakushev

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112201

Distribution of floating marine macro-litter in relation to oceanographic characteristics in the Russian Arctic Seas

Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 May:166:112201. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112201. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Authors

Maria Pogojeva¹, Igor Zhdanov², Anfisa Berezina³, Artem Lapenkov⁴, Denis Kosmach⁵, Alexander Osadchiev⁶, Georg Hanke⁷, Igor Semiletov⁸, Evgeniy Yakushev⁹

Affiliations

¹ Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia; N.N.Zubov State Oceanographic Institute, Roshydromet, Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: pogojeva_maria@mail.ru.
² Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia.
³ Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia; St.Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
⁴ Institute of Limnology RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia.
⁵ V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia.
⁶ Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
⁷ European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy.
⁸ V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia; Institute of Ecology, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia; Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia.
⁹ Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia; Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: evgeniy.yakushev@niva.no.

PMID: 33714775
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112201

Abstract

The main objectives of this work were the acquisition of new data on floating marine macro litter (FMML) and natural floating objects in the Arctic seas, an initial assessment of the level of pollution by FMML and an analysis of potential sources. The results of this study present the first data on FMML distribution in Russian Arctic shelf seas in relation to oceanographic conditions (i.e. position of water masses of different origin as described by temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH). The main finding of this study is that FMML was found only in the water of Atlantic origin, inflowing from the Barents Sea, where FMML average density on the observed transects was 0.92 items/ km². Eastern parts of the study, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea were practically free from FMML. No input from rivers was detected, at least in autumn, when the observations were performed.

Keywords: Arctic; Floating marine macro litter; Marine environmental monitoring; Marine pollution.

MeSH terms

Arctic Regions
Environmental Monitoring*
Oceanography*
Oceans and Seas
Plastics
Russia

Substances

Plastics