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Cited by 378Microplastics and Plastic PollutionOil Spill Detection and MitigationMarine and Offshore Engineering Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 55 of the 55 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Plastics in sea surface waters around the Antarctic Peninsula

Open access
Lacerda, Ana L. d. F., Rodrigues, Lucas dos S., van Sebille, Erik, Rodrigues, Fábio L., Ribeiro, Lourenço, Secchi, Eduardo R., Kessler, Felipe, Proietti, Maíra C.·2019·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-40311-4PMC PMC6408452
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Abstract

Although marine plastic pollution has been the focus of several studies, there are still many gaps in our understanding of the concentrations, characteristics and impacts of plastics in the oceans. This study aimed to quantify and characterize plastic debris in oceanic surface waters of the Antarctic Peninsula. Sampling was done through surface trawls, and mean debris concentration was estimated at 1,794 items.km −2 with an average weight of 27.8 g.km −2 . No statistical difference was found between the amount of mesoplastics (46%) and microplastics (54%). We found hard and flexible fragments, spheres and lines, in nine colors, composed mostly of polyurethane, polyamide, and polyethylene. An oceanographic dispersal model showed that, for at least seven years, sampled plastics likely did not originate from latitudes lower than 58°S. Analysis of epiplastic community diversity revealed bacteria, microalgae, and invertebrate groups adhered to debris. Paint fragments were present at all sampling stations and were approximately 30 times more abundant than plastics. Although paint particles were not included in plastic concentration estimates, we highlight that they could have similar impacts as marine plastics. We call for urgent action to avoid and mitigate plastic and paint fragment inputs to the Southern Ocean.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41598-019-40311-4

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Figures

Figure 1 Abundance of micro (purple) and mesoplastics (green) per sampling point in Antarctic waters. The map was created using the marmap package and graphics were inserted using the mapplots package and add.pie function on R 3.5.0 (https://www.r-project.org).
Figure 1 Abundance of micro (purple) and mesoplastics (green) per sampling point in Antarctic waters. The map was created using the marmap package and graphics were inserted using the mapplots package and add.pie function on R 3.5.0 (https://www.r-project.org).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Concentrations and colors of plastics per sampling point off the Antarctic Peninsula.
Figure 2 Concentrations and colors of plastics per sampling point off the Antarctic Peninsula.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Dispersal model of plastic particles sampled with a manta net in surface waters of twelve points off the Antarctic Peninsula. The model backtracked seven years of dispersal, using ocean surface current data from HYCOM and Stokes drift data from WaveWatchIII.
Figure 3 Dispersal model of plastic particles sampled with a manta net in surface waters of twelve points off the Antarctic Peninsula. The model backtracked seven years of dispersal, using ocean surface current data from HYCOM and Stokes drift data from WaveWatchIII.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra from (a) red, (b), green, and (c) yellow ocean paint fragments compared with those from the hull of the ship (red and green) and the manta net frame (yellow); (d) general appearance of paint pieces sampled around the Antarctic Peninsula.
Figure 4 Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra from (a) red, (b), green, and (c) yellow ocean paint fragments compared with those from the hull of the ship (red and green) and the manta net frame (yellow); (d) general appearance of paint pieces sampled around the Antarctic Peninsula.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 Diatoms found in the Antarctic Plastisphere. (A) Chaetoceros sp.; (B) Melosira sp.; (C) Thalassiosira cf. antarctica Comber, (D) Thalassiosira sp.; (E) Eucampia antarctica (Castracane) Mangin (resting spore valve); (F) Navicula sp.; (G) Navicula cf. perminuta Grunow; (H) Pseudogomphonema cf. kamtschaticum (Grunow) Medlin; (I) Synedropsis sp.; (J) Extruded polystyrene foam piece covered with pennate diatoms of genus Synedropsis (overview with 30× magnification); and K: 500× magnification of the polystyrene foam for better visualization of microalgae.
Figure 5 Diatoms found in the Antarctic Plastisphere. (A) Chaetoceros sp.; (B) Melosira sp.; (C) Thalassiosira cf. antarctica Comber, (D) Thalassiosira sp.; (E) Eucampia antarctica (Castracane) Mangin (resting spore valve); (F) Navicula sp.; (G) Navicula cf. perminuta Grunow; (H) Pseudogomphonema cf. kamtschaticum (Grunow) Medlin; (I) Synedropsis sp.; (J) Extruded polystyrene foam piece covered with pennate diatoms of genus Synedropsis (overview with 30× magnification); and K: 500× magnification of the polystyrene foam for better visualization of microalgae.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 6 Groups of organisms attached to plastics and paint fragments sampled at surface waters in Antarctica. Coccoid (A) and elongated bacterial (B) colonies, and marine invertebrate (C) adhered to marine plastics; coccoid (D) and elongated cells of bacteria (E) and Tetraparma-like microalgae (Chrysophyceae - Parmales) (F) adhered to paint fragments.
Figure 6 Groups of organisms attached to plastics and paint fragments sampled at surface waters in Antarctica. Coccoid (A) and elongated bacterial (B) colonies, and marine invertebrate (C) adhered to marine plastics; coccoid (D) and elongated cells of bacteria (E) and Tetraparma-like microalgae (Chrysophyceae - Parmales) (F) adhered to paint fragments.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 7 Sampling area of marine plastics in surface waters of twelve points off the Antarctic Peninsula (a), using a manta net (b). The map was created using the marmap package and getNOAA.bathy function on R 3.5.0 (https://www.r-project.org).
Figure 7 Sampling area of marine plastics in surface waters of twelve points off the Antarctic Peninsula (a), using a manta net (b). The map was created using the marmap package and getNOAA.bathy function on R 3.5.0 (https://www.r-project.org).CC BY · PubMed Central

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Conference on Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty. Available in, http://www.ats.aq/documents/ats/treaty_original.pdf (1959).

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Metadata

Authors
Lacerda, A. L. D. F., Rodrigues, L. D. S., van Sebille, E., Rodrigues, F. L., Ribeiro, L., Secchi, E. R., Kessler, F., & Proietti, M. C.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (BR)
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
  • University of Lisbon (PT)
Corresponding author
Lacerda, Ana L. d. F.
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-03-08
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
3977-3977
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41598-019-40311-4
PMC
PMC6408452
OpenAlex
W2920163517
Cited by
378
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 75 · 2023: 54 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 51 · 2019: 9
FWCI
13.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Americanae (AECID Library) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • European Commission (UID/MAR/04292/2019, HORIZON2020, 715386)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (2018-5)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (407889/2013‐2, PQ 312470/2018‐5, PQ 307846/, PQ 307846/2014-8, 312470/2018-5)
  • Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N50869X/1)
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (UID/MAR/04292, UID/MAR/04292/2019)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Oil Spill Detection and Mitigation
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Ocean Engineering › Marine and Offshore Engineering Studies
Keywords
marine plastic pollution, plastic debris, Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean, microplastics, mesoplastics, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyamide

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