FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Spatial distribution of marine macro-litter on the seafloor in the northern Mediterranean Sea: the MEDITS initiative OT La distribución espacial de la macro-basura marina en el fondo del Mediterráneo norte: los resultados de las campañas MEDITS BT AF SPEDICATO, Maria Teresa ZUPA, Walter Carbonara, Pierluigi Fiorentino, Fabio Follesca, Maria Cristina GALGANI, Francois Garcia-Ruiz, Cristina JADAUD, Angelique Ioakeimidis, Christos Lazarakis, Giorgios Lembo, Giuseppe Mandic, Milica Maiorano, Porzia Sartini, Marina Serena, Fabrizio Cau, Alessandro Esteban, Antonio Isajlovic, Igor Micallef, Reno Thasitis, Ioannis AS 1:1;2:1;3:1;4:2;5:3;6:4;7:5;8:6;9:7;10:8;11:1;12:9;13:10;14:11;15:2;16:3;17:12;18:13;19:14;20:15; FF 1:;2:;3:;4:;5:;6:PDG-ODE-LITTORAL-LERPAC;7:;8:PDG-RBE-MARBEC-LHM;9:;10:;11:;12:;13:;14:;15:;16:;17:;18:;19:;20:; C1 COISPA Tecnologia & Ricerca, via dei trulli 18, 70126 Bari, Italy. Italian National Research Council (CNR), Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies (IRBIM), Mazara del Vallo, Italy. Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Cagliari University, Italy. IFREMER/ LER/PAC, 20600, Bastia, France Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain MARBEC, IFREMER, IRD, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Avenue Jean Monnet - CS 30171, 34203 Sète Cedex, France UN Environment / Mediterranean Action Plan, Mediterranean Pollution Assessment and Control Programme (MED POL), Barcelona Convention Secretariat, Vas. Konstantinou 48, Athens 11635, Greece Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 71003, Heraklion, Greece University of Montenegro, Institute of marine biology, Dobrota bb, 85330 Kotor, Montenegro. Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy. Aplysia Soc. Coop.r.l., Via Menichetti 35, 57121 Livorno, Italy. Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Murcia, Spain. Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Set. I. Mestrovica 63, 21000 Split, Croatia. Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Fisheries Resource Unit, Malta. Fisheries Resources Division, Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Nicosia, Cyprus. C2 COISPA TECNOL & RIC, ITALY CNR IRBIM, ITALY UNIV CAGLIARI, ITALY IFREMER, FRANCE IEO, SPAIN IFREMER, FRANCE UN ENVIRONM MAP MED POL, GREECE HELLENIC CTR MARINE RES, GREECE UNIV MONTENEGRO, MONTENEGRO UNIV BARI ALDO MORO, ITALY APLYSIA, ITALY IEO, SPAIN INST OCEANOG & FISHERIES, CROATIA MINIST ENVIRONM SUST DEVELPM CLIMATE CHANGE, MALTA DEPT FISH MARINE RES, CYPRUS SI CORSE SETE SE PDG-ODE-LITTORAL-LERPAC PDG-RBE-MARBEC-LHM UM MARBEC IN WOS Ifremer UPR WOS Ifremer UMR DOAJ copubli-europe copubli-int-hors-europe copubli-sud IF 1.172 TC 35 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00591/70319/68355.pdf LA English DT Article CR MEDITS DE ;marine macro-litter;plastic;Mediterranean Sea;GAM modelling;accumulation areas;MEDITS AB Marine litter is one of the main sources of anthropogenic pollution in the marine ecosystem, with plastic representing a global threat. This paper aims to assess the spatial distribution of plastic macro-litter on the seafloor, identifying accumulation hotspots at a northern Mediterranean scale. Density indices (items km–2) from the MEDITS trawl surveys (years 2013-2015) were modelled by generalized additive models using a Delta-type approach and several covariates: latitude, longitude, depth, seafloor slope, surface oceanographic currents and distances from main ports. To set thresholds for the identification of accumulation areas, the percentiles (85th, 90th and 95th) of the plastic spatial density distribution were computed on the raster data. In the northern Mediterranean marine macro-litter was widespread (90.13% of the 1279 surveyed stations), with plastic by far the most recurrent category. The prediction map of the plastic density highlighted accumulation areas (85th, 90th and 95th percentiles of the distribution, respectively, corresponding to 147, 196 and 316 items km–2) in the Gulf of Lions, eastern Corsica, the eastern Adriatic Sea, the Argo-Saronic region and waters around southern Cyprus. Maximum densities were predicted in correspondence to the shallower depths and in proximity to populated areas (distance from the ports). Surface currents and local water circulation with cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies were identified as drivers likely facilitating the sinking to the bottoms of floating debris. PY 2019 PD DEC SO Scientia Marina SN 0214-8358 PU Institut de Ciències del Mar de Barcelona, CSIC VL 83 IS S1 UT 000504829900019 BP 257 EP 270 DI 10.3989/scimar.04987.14A ID 70319 ER EF