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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Plastic pollution on coral reefs increases with depth and mostly comes   
   from fishing activities    
      
     Date:   
         July 12, 2023   
     Source:   
         California Academy of Sciences   
     Summary:   
         Researchers reveal the extent of plastic pollution on coral reefs,   
         finding that debris increases with depth, largely stems from   
         fishing activities, and is correlated with proximity to marine   
         protected areas.   
      
      
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   In a paper published today in Nature, researchers from the California   
   Academy of Sciences, University of Sa~o Paulo, University of Oxford,   
   University of Exeter, and other collaborators reveal the extent of   
   plastic pollution on coral reefs, finding that debris increases with   
   depth, largely stems from fishing activities, and is correlated with   
   proximity to marine protected areas.   
      
   Through underwater visual surveys spanning more than two dozen locations   
   across the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, the researchers expose   
   the abundance, distribution, and drivers of plastic pollution at various   
   depths, which in turn enables them to identify what conservation efforts   
   could be prioritized -- and where -- to protect our planet's vulnerable   
   coral reefs.   
      
   "Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing problems plaguing ocean   
   ecosystems, and coral reefs are no exception," says Hudson Pinheiro, PhD,   
   the study's lead author, a biologist at the Center for Marine Biology   
   of the University of Sa~o Paulo, and an Academy research fellow. "From   
   macroplastics that spread coral diseases to fishing lines that entangle   
   and damage the structural complexity of the reef, decreasing both fish   
   abundance and diversity, pollution negatively impacts the entire coral   
   reef ecosystem."  Surveying reefs from shallow to never-before-seen For   
   the study, the researchers conducted more than 1,200 visual surveys across   
   84 shallow and mesophotic reef ecosystems located in 14 countries. To   
   survey hard-to-reach mesophotic -- or 'twilight zone' -- coral reefs that   
   exist between 100 and 500 feet (30 and 150 meters) deep, researchers   
   relied on specialized diving gear that few other scientific dive teams   
   are trained to safely use.   
      
   According to the study, coral reefs appear to be more contaminated by   
   plastics and other human-derived debris than other marine ecosystems   
   that have been evaluated, but are much less polluted than shoreline   
   ecosystems like beaches and wetlands.   
      
   However, contrary to studies of near-shore environments, the researchers   
   found that the amount of plastic increased with depth -- peaking in the   
   mesophotic zone -- and was mostly derived from fishing activities.   
      
   "It was surprising to find that debris increased with depth since   
   deeper reefs in general are farther from sources of plastic pollution,"   
   says Luiz Rocha, PhD, Academy curator of ichthyology and co-director of   
   the Academy's Hope for Reefs initiative, who was the senior author on   
   the study. "We are almost always the first humans to set eyes on these   
   deeper reefs, and yet we see human- produced trash on every dive. It   
   really puts the effect we have had on the planet into perspective."   
   Of the total debris, 88% was macroplastics larger than about two inches   
   (five centimeters). The researchers posit that the potential causes   
   of pollution reaching such depths include increased wave action and   
   turbulence near the surface dislodging trash and carrying it away,   
   recreational divers removing debris from more accessible shallow reefs,   
   and shallow corals with higher growth rates overgrowing the trash hiding   
   it from their surveys.   
      
   The lowest and highest densities of pollution Over the course of the   
   study, the researchers found human-derived debris in nearly all locations,   
   including some of the planet's most remote and pristine coral reefs,   
   such as those adjacent to uninhabited islands in the central Pacific. The   
   lowest densities of pollution -- around 580 items per square kilometer   
   -- were observed in locations such as the Marshall Islands. Comoros,   
   an island chain off the southeast coast of Africa, had the highest   
   density of pollution with nearly 84,500 items per square kilometer --   
   the equivalent of around 520 pieces of debris on one football field.   
      
   Troublingly, the researchers say that because these plastic-laden   
   deeper reefs are more difficult to study, they are rarely included   
   in conservation efforts, management targets, and discussions despite   
   harboring unique biodiversity that's often not found on shallow reefs.   
      
   "Our findings provide more evidence that the mesophotic is not a refuge   
   for shallow reef species in a changing climate as we once thought,"   
   says co-author Bart Shepherd, director of the Academy's Steinhart   
   Aquarium and co-director of Hope for Reefs. "These reefs face many   
   of the same pressures from human society as shallow reefs, and have a   
   unique and poorly-studied fauna. We need to protect deeper reefs and   
   make sure that they are included in the conservation conversation."   
   Fishing gear foremost source of pollution Although the researchers found   
   much consumer debris, such as water bottles and food wrappers, which   
   are often the main source of plastic pollution in other ecosystems,   
   nearly three-quarters of all plastic items documented on the surveyed   
   reefs were related to fishing like ropes, nets, and fishing lines.   
      
   "Fishing gear, which even as debris continues to catch marine life through   
   what we call ghost fishing, appears to contribute a large proportion   
   of the plastic seen on mesophotic reefs," says co-author Lucy Woodall,   
   PhD, principal scientist of Nekton and associate professor in marine   
   conservation biology and policy at University of Exeter. "Unfortunately,   
   fishing gear debris is often not reduced by general waste management   
   interventions; therefore specific solutions related to the needs of   
   fishers should be considered, such as no- charge disposing of damaged   
   gear in ports or individually labelling gear to ensure fishers take   
   responsibility for misplaced equipment."  To uncover the drivers   
   of coral reef pollution, the researchers analyzed how the abundance   
   of human-derived debris correlated with a number of geographic and   
   socioeconomic factors. In general, they found pollution on reefs increases   
   with depth and proximity to densely populated cities, local markets, and,   
   counterintuitively, marine protected areas. Since most marine protected   
   areas allow some fishing within or near their borders and are typically   
   more productive than other locations due to their protected status, they   
   are often heavily frequented by fishers, according to the researchers.   
      
   "Our findings reveal some of the complex collective challenges we face   
   when dealing with plastic pollution," Pinheiro says. "As marine resources   
   around the world dwindle, humans that rely on those resources are turning   
   to deeper habitats and those closer to marine protected areas where   
   fish remain abundant."  Science-based solutions to fight reef pollution   
   Ultimately, the researchers hope that by teasing out the major drivers   
   of pollution, as well as demonstrating that plastic pollution increases   
   with depth, conservation efforts can be redirected to better protect   
   and ensure a thriving future for Earth's coral reefs.   
      
   "The results of our global study shine a light on one of the many   
   threats that deep reefs face today," says study author and University   
   of Oxford marine biologist Paris Stefanoudis. "Because these ecosystems   
   are ecologically and biologically unique, much like their shallow-water   
   cousins, they need to be conserved and explicitly considered in management   
   plans."  In particular, they stress the need to expand the depth of   
   marine protected areas to include mesophotic reefs, update international   
   agreements on combating plastic pollution at their source -- such as   
   those discussed at the recent Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee   
   on Plastic Pollution -- to include fishing gear, and develop low-cost   
   biodegradable alternatives to fishing gear that will not adversely impact   
   the well-being of coastal communities that rely on sustainable fishing   
   for their livelihoods.   
      
   "Despite the disturbing overall trend, there were some places where we   
   found relatively little debris, which shows us that there are effective   
   strategies for preventing plastic pollution," Shepherd says. "If we act   
   fast and employ science-based solutions, there absolutely is hope for   
   coral reefs."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Fish # Fisheries # Marine_Biology   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Ecology # Pollution # Coral_Reefs   
             o Science_&_Society   
                   # Ocean_Policy # Environmental_Policies # Land_Management   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Eutrophication o Environmental_effects_of_fishing o Coral_reef   
             o Artificial_reef o Dinoflagellate o Southeast_Asia_coral_reefs   
             o Water_pollution o Fishery   
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Hudson T. Pinheiro, Chancey MacDonald, Robson G. Santos, Ramadhoine   
      Ali,   
         Ayesha Bobat, Benjamin J. Cresswell, Ronaldo Francini-Filho,   
         Rui Freitas, Gemma F. Galbraith, Peter Musembi, Tyler A. Phelps,   
         Juan P. Quimbayo, T.   
      
         E. Angela L. Quiros, Bart Shepherd, Paris V. Stefanoudis, Sheena   
         Talma, Joa~o B. Teixeira, Lucy C. Woodall, Luiz A. Rocha. Plastic   
         pollution on the world's coral reefs. Nature, 2023; 619 (7969):   
         311 DOI: 10.1038/ s41586-023-06113-5   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230712124626.htm   
      
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