Litter Windrows in the South-East Coast of the Bay of Biscay: An Ocean Process Enabling Effective Active Fishing for Litter

Large scale convergence regions of floating marine litter are commonly observed in semi-enclosed seas as the Bay of Biscay. However, clean-up activities on such accumulation regions are limited by the spread of the large-size floating litter on the sea surface. Data gathered by a small-scale fishing vessel devoted to active fishing for floating litter activities during the spring and summer of 2018 reveals that the linear streaks of high concentration of floating litter (so-called litter "windrows") are common accumulation structures in the south-east coast of the Bay of Biscay. The random search of litter windrows for their collection through surface tows of macro-nets was proved to be an effective action for floating litter mitigation. A total of 196 tows collected 16.2 tons of floating marine litter in 68 working days. Most of the litter windrows were around 1 km length and, on average, accumulated 77.75 kg of floating marine litter. Fishing, shipping and aquaculture sectors were the source of 35% of the 4,130 litter items analyzed (55% in weight of the sourced items), and plastic was the most common type of material (96% in terms of items). A better understanding of the phenomenon of the litter windrows, capable to guide clean-up efforts in space and time, would provide a considerable improvement in the efficiency of mitigation actions to reduce the marine litter pollution. The observations of litter windrows in the coastal area of the south-east of the Bay of Biscay demonstrate the key role of submesoscale processes in the distribution of FML. The present work provides a thorough description of floating litter windrows in nature, which it was non-existent to date. The results are the kind of proof necessary to boost the research addressed on the submesoscale aggregations of FML. Coupling litter windrows observations with remote-sensing technology and high-resolution modeling techniques offer great opportunities for the mitigation actions against marine litter

Microplastics: a review of policies and responses

Although (micro)plastic contamination is a worldwide concern, most scientific literature only restates that issue rather than presenting strategies to cope with it. This critical review assembles the current knowledge on policies and responses to tackle plastic pollution, including peer-reviewed scientific literature, gray literature and relevant reports to provide: (1) a timeline of policies directly or indirectly addressing microplastics; (2) the most up-to-date upstream responses to prevent microplastics pollution, such as circular economy, behavioral change, development of bio-based polymers and market-based instruments as well as source-specific strategies, focusing on the clothing industry, tire and road wear particles, antifouling paints and recreational activities; (3) a set of downstream responses tackling microplastics, such as waste to energy, degradation, water treatment plants and litter clean-up strategies; and examples of (4) multifaceted responses focused on both mitigating and preventing microplastics pollution, e.g., approaches implemented in fisheries and aquaculture facilities. Preventive strategies and multifaceted responses are postulated as pivotal to handling the exacerbated release of microplastics in the environment, while downstream responses stand out as auxiliary strategies to the chief upstream responses. The information gathered here bridges the knowledge gaps on (micro)plastic pollution by providing a synthesized baseline material for further studies addressing this environmental issue

Editorial : The sustainability series : the plastics problem - pathways towards sustainable solutions against plastic pollution

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#OceanOptimism: Balancing the Narrative About the Future of the Ocean

The ocean is facing multiple pressures from human activities, including the effects of climate change. Science has a prominent role in identifying problems and communicating these to society. However, scientists are also increasingly taking an active role in developing solutions, including strategies for adapting to and mitigating climate change, increasing food security, and reducing pollution. Transmitting these solutions to society changes our narrative about the ocean and motivates actions. The United Nations triple initiatives for this decade—the Sustainable Development Goals, the Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration—provide the momentum for this change in narrative and focus. Here, we reflect on the search for solutions and the need for better ways of communicating science in a positive way. We synthesize insights from a summer school held during the COVID-19 pandemic and present some examples of successes and failures and the lessons learned from these.#OceanOptimism: Balancing the Narrative About the Future of the OceanpublishedVersio

Solvent-Based Elimination of Organic Matter from Marine-Collected Plastics

The physical-chemical characterization of plastic litter from the marine environment requires the prior removal of the biofouling attached to their surface without causing any degradation in the polymer. The absence of a standardized protocol for digesting biofouling and organic matter of both macro and microplastic samples extracted from seawater has been the main motivation for this research work, which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different solvents (hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, a commercial enzymatic detergent, and potassium hydroxide) for the digestion of organic matter and biofouling in different samples recovered from the Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean coast. Moreover, the potential effect of those solvents on the physical-chemical structure of polymers, four virgin plastic reference materials (low-density polyethylene, polyamide, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polystyrene) without any type of prior degradation has been characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical microscopy. Results indicate that the hydrogen peroxide at 15% concentration applied for one week at 40 °C is the most effective solvent for organic matter and biofouling removal, without causing any apparent damage on the structure of plastic samples analyzed

The coastal waters of the south-east Bay of Biscay a dead-end for neustonic plastics

Numerical models point to the south-east Bay of Biscay as a convergence area for floating particles, including plastics. The few existing studies on plastic abundance in the area mainly focus on open waters and yet information on the coastal area is limited. To fill this gap, neustonic samples were taken along the coastal waters of the south-east Bay of Biscay (2017-2020) to define the spatial distribution of plastic abundances and composition. Results show an average plastic abundance of 739,395 +/- 2,625,271 items/km(2) (998 +/- 4338 g/km(2)). French waters were more affected, with five times higher plastic abundances than Spanish coasts. Microplastics represented 93 % of the total abundance of plastic items (28 % in weight), mesoplastics 7 % (26 %) and macroplastics 1 % (46 %). This study demonstrates that this area is a hotspot for plastic with levels in coastal waters similar to those in the Mediterranean Sea or other litter aggregation areas

Marine Litter Windrows: A Strategic Target to Understand and Manage the Ocean Plastic Pollution

Windrow is a long-established term for the aggregations of seafoam, seaweeds, plankton and natural debris that appear on the ocean surface. Here, we define a "litter windrow" as any aggregation of floating litter at the submesoscale domain (<10 km horizontally), regardless of the force inducing the surface convergence, be it wind or other forces such as tides or density-driven currents. The marine litter windrows observed to date usually form stripes from tens up to thousands of meters long, with litter densities often exceeding 10 small items ( 2 cm) per m2 or 1 large item ( 2 cm) per 10 m2. Litter windrows are generally overlooked in research due to their dispersion, small size and ephemeral nature. However, applied research on windrows offers unique possibilities to advance on the knowledge and management of marine litter pollution. Litter windrows are hot spots of interaction with marine life. In addition, since the formation of dense litter windrows requires especially high loads of floating litter in the environment, their detection from space-borne sensors, aerial surveys or other platforms might be used to flag areas and periods of severe pollution. Monitoring and assessing of management plans, identification of pollution sources, or impact prevention are identified as some of the most promising fields of application for the marine litter windrows. In the present Perspective, we develop a conceptual framework and point out the main obstacles, opportunities and methodological approaches to address the study of litter windrows.This study is an outcome of the research project entitled "MappingWindrows as Proxy for Marine Litter Monitoring from Space" (WASP), funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) Contract No. 4000130627/20/NL/GLC, within the Discovery Campaign in Marine Litter. AC had additional support from MIDaS (CTM2016-77106-R, AEI/FEDER/UE), and SA from PRIN 2017-2017WERYZP-EMME project. AI was supported by the Environmental Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF18S20201) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and by SATREPS of Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan Science and Technology Agency. OB and AR contribution was funded through the EU's LIFE Program (LIFE LEMA project, grant agreement no. LIFE15 ENV/ES/000252). This is contribution number 1016 of AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA)

Mikro-plastikoen iturriak eta egoera orokorra mundu mailako itsaso eta ozeanoetan

Until recent years we have been unaware of the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment. MPs are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm accumulated in seas and shores, due to the dumping of small plastic materials used in certain products, or by the fragmentation of larger plastic objects. The actual extent of their risk is yet unknown and their origin, occurrence and impacts are being investigated. This work has included a number of researches on MPs worldwide, with the aim of presenting a global situation on the topic, emphasizing the limits and knowledge barriers. MPs are found in all marine compartments: on the water surface, in sediments (at the seabed and beaches) and in biota. MPs abundance vary significantly depending on the compartment, the measurement methodology, the geographic area and even on the sampling period. Difficulties are found when comparing researches, as different methodologies are being used. For this reason, there is an urgent need to standardize procedures. Polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene are the most common materials in MPs, in agreement with the most commonly used plastic materials in the world. The information on the distribution and impacts of MPs in the oceans is still limited. For this reason, research on the topic must be deepened at different scales (locally, regionally and globally) with the aim to: agree methodologies, set monitoring programmes, assess sources, deepen on the degradation paths of secondary MPs, and analyse the impacts on environmental and human health.; Azken hamarkada arte ez gara itsas ingurumenean mikroplastikoen (MPen) presentziaz kontziente izan. MPak itsaso eta kostaldeetan metatzen diren eta 5 mm baino tamaina txikiagoko plastiko-partikulak dira; zenbait produktu eta aplikaziotan erabilitako plastikozko material txikiak isurtzearen edo beste objektu handiago batzuen zatikapenaren ondorioz sortzen dira. Beraien arriskuaren benetako zenbaterainokoa ezezaguna da eta mundu osoan zehar jatorria, presentzia eta eraginak ikertzen ari dira. Lan honek MPei buruz munduan zehar egin diren hainbat ikerketa-lan bildu ditu, mundu-mailan itsas konpartimentu ezberdinetan MPei dagokienez aurkitu daitekeen egoera orokorra aurkezteko helburuarekin, mugak eta ezagutze-hutsuneak azpimarratuz. Itsaso-konpartimentu guztietan topatu dira MPak: ur-azalean, sedimentuetan (itsas hondoan, hondartzetan eta kostan, oro har) eta biotan; MP kopuruak nabarmenki aldatzen delarik behatutako konpartimentuaren, neurketa-teknikaren, eremu geografikoaren eta neurketa momentuaren arabera. Ikerketak alderatzeko zailtasunak nabarmentzen dira, erabilitako metodologia ezberdinak direla medio. Hori dela eta, prozedurak bateratzeko premiazko beharra dago. Mundu-mailan gehien ekoizten diren polimero motak izaki, polipropilenoa, polietilenoa eta poliestirenoa dira MPetan gehien azaltzen direnak. Ozeanoetako MPen banaketa eta eraginaren efektuei buruzko informazioa mugatua da oraindik. Horregatik guztiagatik, egindako lana sakondu beharra dago eskala ezberdinetan (lokalean, eskualdean eta mundu mailan): metodologiak adostu, monitorizazio-programak ezarri, iturriak hausnartu, MP sekundarioen degradazio-mekanismoetan sakondu, eta konpartimentuen arteko dinamikak eta ingurumenaren zein giza osasunaren gaineko eraginak aztertu

Ten lessons on the resilience of the EU common fisheries policy towards climate change and fuel efficiency - A call for adaptive, flexible and wellinformed fisheries management

To effectively future-proof the management of the European Union fishing fleets we have explored a suite of case studies encompassing the northeast and tropical Atlantic, the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Seas. This study shows that European Union (EU) fisheries are likely resilient to climate-driven short-term stresses, but may be negatively impacted by long-term trends in climate change. However, fisheries’ long-term stock resilience can be improved (and therefore be more resilient to increasing changes in climate) by adopting robust and adaptive fisheries management, provided such measures are based on sound scientific advice which includes uncertainty. Such management requires regular updates of biological reference points. Such updates will delineate safe biological limits for exploitation, providing both high long-term yields with reduced risk of stock collapse when affected by short-term stresses, and enhanced compliance with advice to avoid higher than intended fishing mortality. However, high resilience of the exploited ecosystem does not necessarily lead to the resilience of the economy of EU fisheries from suffering shocks associated with reduced yields, neither to a reduced carbon footprint if fuel use increases from lower stock abundances. Fuel consumption is impacted by stock development, but also by changes in vessel and gear technologies, as well as fishing techniques. In this respect, energy-efficient fishing technologies already exist within the EU, though implementing them would require improving the uptake of innovations and demonstrating to stakeholders the potential for both reduced fuel costs and increased catch rates. A transition towards reducing fuel consumption and costs would need to be supported by the setup of EU regulatory instruments. Overall, to effectively manage EU fisheries within a changing climate, flexible, adaptive, well-informed and well-enforced management is needed, with incentives provided for innovations and ocean literacy to cope with the changing conditions, while also reducing the dependency of the capture fishing industry on fossil fuels. To support such management, we provide 10 lessons to characterize ‘win-win’ fishing strategies for the European Union, which develop leverages in which fishing effort deployed corresponds to Maximum Sustainable Yield targets and Common Fisheries Policy minimal effects objectives. In these strategies, higher catch is obtained in the long run, less fuel is spent to attain the catch, and the fisheries have a higher resistance and resilience to shock and long-term factors to face climate-induced stressesEn prens

Emerging risks from ballast water treatment: The run-up to the International Ballast Water Management Convention

AbstractUptake and discharge of ballast water by ocean-going ships contribute to the worldwide spread of aquatic invasive species, with negative impacts on the environment, economies, and public health. The International Ballast Water Management Convention aims at a global answer. The agreed standards for ballast water discharge will require ballast water treatment. Systems based on various physical and/or chemical methods were developed for on-board installation and approved by the International Maritime Organization. Most common are combinations of high-performance filters with oxidizing chemicals or UV radiation. A well-known problem of oxidative water treatment is the formation of disinfection by-products, many of which show genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, or other long-term toxicity. In natural biota, genetic damages can affect reproductive success and ultimately impact biodiversity. The future exposure towards chemicals from ballast water treatment can only be estimated, based on land-based testing of treatment systems, mathematical models, and exposure scenarios. Systematic studies on the chemistry of oxidants in seawater are lacking, as are data about the background levels of disinfection by-products in the oceans and strategies for monitoring future developments. The international approval procedure of ballast water treatment systems compares the estimated exposure levels of individual substances with their experimental toxicity. While well established in many substance regulations, this approach is also criticised for its simplification, which may disregard critical aspects such as multiple exposures and long-term sub-lethal effects. Moreover, a truly holistic sustainability assessment would need to take into account factors beyond chemical hazards, e.g. energy consumption, air pollution or waste generation