5. Ecology of litter at sea
advertisement
COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Plastics, as direct danger for humans Large fragments on beaches can cause injuries. Sewage-related and medical waste may be a risk to human health. Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Plastics, as vectors of biological and chemical contaminants for humans Pathogenic Vibrio spp Plastics and fluoranthene on Mytilus Vectors of chemical contaminants (PAH PCB) through the marine trophic levels Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Direct Impacts of plastics on marine life Ecotoxic effects Ingestion, feeding alteration Effects on physiology and reproduction Vectors of chemical contaminants (PAH PCB) through the marine trophic levels Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Impacts on marine life Ingestion, entanglement, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking alien invasions Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Direct Impacts on marine life Ingestion A study on 38 green turtles found that 61 percent had ingested some form of marine debris including plastic bags, cloth, and rope or string (Bugoni et al., 2001) Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Direct Impacts on marine life Ingestion Birds feed on plastic floating on the water, mistaking it for food, and leading to death and death of their young. A report on Laysan Albatross chicks on Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean revealed that forty percent of Albatross chicks die before fledging. Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Direct Impacts on marine life Ingestion At least 43% of existing cetacean species, all species of marine turtles, approximately 44% of the world's seabird species, and many species of fish have been reported to ingest litter Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Direct Impacts on marine life Entanglement Marine life can become entangled in marine debris causing serious injury or death trough suffocation, starvation, drowning, increased vulnerability to predators, or other injuries Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Impacts of plastics on marine life smothering Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Direct Impacts on marine life Ecosystem Alteration Coral reefs can be damaged by derelict fishing gear that breaks or suffocates coral. Plants can be smothered by plastic bags and fishing nets. The ocean floor ecosystems can be damaged. Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Indirect Impacts on marine life Hitch hiking, Invasive Species Marine debris can contribute to the transfer and movement of invasive species from one location to another. Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Interaction of plastic litter with environment is not only aestetic!! Indirect Impacts on marine life Ecosystem Alteration Efforts to remove marine debris can harm ecosystems. Mechanical beach raking uses a tractor or other mechanical device to remove marine debris from beaches and marine shorelines and can impact shoreline habitats Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Lifecycle of marine plastic It is not one specific source or step in the plastic lifecycle that is responsible for marine debris; it is types of behavior or improperly secured waste, whether intentional or intentional, that creates marine debris Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Lifecycle of marine plastic 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Lifecycle of marine plastic Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Lifecycle of marine plastic It is not one specific source or step in the plastic lifecycle that is responsible for marine debris; it is types of behavior or improperly secured waste, whether intentional or intentional, that creates marine debris Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Anthropocene and Plastisphere Anthropocene The term was coined in 80 by ecologist Eugene F. Stoermer. Informal geologic chronological term that marks the evidence and extent of human activities that have had a significant global impact Rabat, 8-13 september 2014 COCONET SUMMER COURSE “GES & MPAs” Good Environmental Status and Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and Black Sea 5. Ecology of litter at sea? Anthropocene and Plastisphere Plastisphere is a term used to refer to ecosystems that have evolved to live in human-made plastic environments. Unknown equilibria Rabat, 8-13 september 2014
