Monitoring and data management

Reports


Title: Analysis of strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of accumulations of marine litter on the coast
Responsible Partner: INTECMAR
Date: Octubre 2021
Download: English, Spanish
Description: This study aims to analyze different strategies for the location of areas of accumulation of Marine litter that can be incorporated into monitoring, cleaning, and collection protocols.

 


Title: Monitoring the presence of marine litter in the marine environment
Responsible Partner: ARDITI
Date: Octubre 2021
Download: Link 
Description: This report describes the efforts and advances made within the CleanAtlantic project towards the use of UAS-based Remote Sensing to monitor floating litter, including: i) general operational and processing constraints; ii) custom designed case study used to assess different processing options for RGB aerial imagery; iii) considerations and limitations of using UAS-based remote sensing for floating litter monitoring, and; iv) recommendations towards the implementation of UAS-based remote sensing protocols and monitoring programs.

 


Title: Development of sustainable tools (Database and software) for Marine Litter Data management
Responsible Partner: Ifremer
Date: Diciembre 2021
Download: Link 
Description: Report describing the development of a database and specific software for the Marine Litter Data management.

 


Title: Overview of the work carried out in CleanAtlantic on improving marine litter monitoring: WP 5.2.1. – Improving methods for marine litter monitoring in the Atlantic Area: seabed, floating and coastal litter; WP 5.2.2. – New tools for the monitoring of marine litter
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: Diciembre 2021
Download: Link 
Description:This report collates the main results delivered in the frame of the CleanAtlantic project, Work package 5.2. Monitoring the presence of marine litter in the marine environment. With this  purpose, an overview of new and improved marine litter monitoring methods for seabed, water surface and coastal compartments in the Atlantic Area is presented. Main findings, gaps on monitoring and research as well as potential improvements and recommendations are highlighted. For some of the topics addressed partners produced fully-dedicated reports. In these cases, links to the original reports are included in the reference section for further information.  

 


Title: Optimized protocol and template for monitoring floating macrolitter by scientific observers onboard research vessels
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: September 2021
Download: Link 
Description: This document includes the updated version of the protocol and templates used for monitoring floating macrolitter. These data are recorded along with the monitoring of apex predators. In the frame of the CleanAtlantic project the existent protocol and record sheets were adapted and improved so that they can be used as standard tools for any observer regardless the specificities of the research vessel or institution, and also to facilitate the work of the observers.

 


Title: Monitoring floating microlitter in offshore waters by manta-trawl (collaboration with iFADO project)
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: September 2021
Download: Link 
Description: In collaboration with iFADO project 10 samples from Galician offshore waters (NW Iberian Peninsula) were collected by means of a manta-trawl net for microlitter categorization. The results obtained in this work suggest a moderate microlitter density in both coastal and offshore stations. The average of item density for the whole sample collection was 0.0089 ± 0.0091 item/m2 or 0.0446 ± 0.0455 item/m3. Fragments found were abundant in both coastal and offshore stations and were mainly composed by particles with sizes smaller than 1 mm and predominance of green colour.

 


Title: Evaluation of marine litter as transport facilitator for nuisance biota
Responsible Partner: ARDITI
Date: April 2021
Download: Link 
Description: This report examines the role of marine litter as a vector facilitator for dispersal of attached and mobile species in the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal.

 


Title: Assessment of seabed litter data recorded by scientific observers onboard fishing vessels
Responsible Partner: IEO
Date: Oct 2020
Download: Link 
Description: This report aims to assess information sampled by scientific observers on board fishing vessels to monitor marine litter, predominantly seabed litter.

 


Title: Strategy and constraints to support monitoring of Marine Litter Harm: Towards a protocol for the observation of marine organisms entangled/strangled/covered by marine litter during ROV operations
Responsible Partner: Ifremer
Date: Aug 2020
Download: PDF
Description: The objective of this report is to review the possible strategies and constraints for monitoring the impact of marine litter in the OSPAR region and to assess the potential of a new indicator of entanglement. Thie report is the result of the research performed within CleanAtlantic, taking advantage of the work done previously by OSPAR, UNEP MAP (Barcelona convention), EU MSFD Technical Group on Marine Litter (TGML) and some EU projects like INDICIT (EU wide), Actions for Marine Protected Areas (AMAre -Mediterranean Sea, https://amare.interreg-med.eu), and Plastic Busters in Marine Protected Areas PBMPA -Mediterranean Sea, https://plasticbustersmpas.interreg-med.eu).

 


Title: Assessment between trawl gears baka and GOV for the study of seabed litter
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: Nov 2020
Download: PDF and DATA
Description: This report aims to assess if there are differences on catchability of seabed litter between the two gears used on the ground fish surveys in the French and Spanish shelves. Baka is the gear used as a sampler in the demersal trawl surveys conducted by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía and the GOV (Grand Overture Vertical) is the standard gear used as a sampler in the ICES area in the demersal trawls surveys carried out by IFREMER and other research institutes in the North of Europe.

 


Title: Towards a protocol for the observation of microplastics in Biota
Responsible Partner: CEFAS
Date: April 2020
Download: link
Description: This report discusses a number of publications which document the ingestion of microplastics by biota comparing the methodology for detection and quantification of microplastics in biota and a suitable and sustainable indicator species for the monitoring of microplastics in biota in the Atlantic area.


Title: Monitoring the presence of marine litter in the marine environment: potential of remote sensing
Responsible Partner: CEFAS
Date: October 2019
Download: Report
Description: This report focus on the potential of satellites to develop and improve monitoring methods of marine litter. More specifically, it assess the feasibility of Sentinel 2 data in identifying plastic litter hotspots; investigates what the spectral ranges of polymers using Sentinel 2 data are; and proposes a method of plastic litter hotspots identification.

 

Apps


Title: Floating Litter Reporter: facilitating litter monitoring for maritime stakeholders
Responsible Partner: ARDITI
Date: May 2021
Download: Link 
Description: Report describing the App Floating Litter Reporter. This tool was specifically designed to encourage citizen communities to make available relevant data while generating more consciousness at the
local level on marine litter.

 


Title: Seafloor litter App for CEFAS Scientist
Responsible Partner: CEFAS
Date: 08/06/2021
Download: Link
Description: Report describing the App developed by CEFAS. The primary use for the app is for Cefas scientists on board the RV Cefas Endeavour to reduce the use of paper log sheets, streamline the data entry and reduce the time associated with data QC. Therefore, the main focus of the app requirements was based on the Cefas method of seafloor litter logging, which follows
the ICES guideline for sampling and the OSPAR categories for seafloor litter, as much of the data is submitted annually to DATRAS.

 


Title: Marine litter LOC-app
Responsible Partner: INTECMAR
Date: January 2020
Download: Installation Manual, User Manual, Administrator Manual, Annex: Diagram of the data base, APK and server software.
Description: In the framework of CleanAtlantic project, the Technological Institute for the Marine Environment Monitoring of Galicia (INTECMAR) developed the mobile application Marine Litter LOC-app with the objective of facilitate and homogenizate data collection of marine litter pilled-up areas along the coast.
Marine Litter LOC-app allows geolocalizate the zones of accumulation, their characteristics and dimensions, add pictures and comments, as well as collect specific information about the marine litter. Marine Litter LOC- app was created with the purpose of being used during managed monitoring sessions where a coordinator (with the profile of Administrator) must previously choose those sector that will be monitored and must assign each sector to whom will collect data (with the profile of User).

 

Publications


Title: The seasonal cycle of micro and meso-plastics in surface waters in a coastal environment (Ría de Vigo, NW Spain)  
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: January 2022
Download:  Link to publication
Description: In this study, micro and mesoplastics were determined for the first time in seawater in Ría de Vigo (Spain) identifying their concentration, annual cycle, size, shape and polymer composition. Besides, temporal variations at an annual scale were also established. 


Title: You Are What You Eat, Microplastics in Porbeagle Sharks From the North East Atlantic: Method Development and Analysis in Spiral Valve Content and Tissue
Responsible Partner: CEFAS
Date: May 2020
Download: Link to publication
Description:This study assesses the impact of microplastics on the general health condition of marine top predators, Porbeagle sharks (Lamna nasus) from the North-East Atlantic Ocean.


Title: The role of cigarette butts as vectors of metals in the marine environment: Could it cause bioaccumulation in oysters?
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo, CEDRE
Date: August 2021
Download: Link to publication
Description:Tobacco is a well-documented threat to human health. However, its environmental impact has only recently been considered. Metals can interact with cigarette butts (CBs) being transported in the marine environment and reaching organisms. To understand this mechanism, a series of metal(loid)s were analyzed in cigarette filters (virgin, artificially smoked, leached in seawater and aged in beach and harbour) as well as in artificially contaminated oyster tissues. Smoked filters showed higher levels of metals compared to the virgin ones showing enrichment factors up to 90, probably associated with tobacco metal content. Once the CBs are delivered to the environment, metals can be leached to seawater until reaching equilibrium, which may be dependent on initial metal levels in the water. Copper was the element with the highest percentage of desorption (91 ± 3%) while strontium showed the lowest percentage (40 ± 0%). CBs revealed a great capacity to accumulate metals from the environment when weathered in contaminated areas. A chemical impact derived from CBs contamination might exist as they serve as a carrier for metals in the marine environment. The release of metals from CBs or the ingestion of metal loaded CBs may pose a toxicological risk for marine organisms via accumulation in their tissues.

 


Title: Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: March 2021
Download: Link to publication
Description: This study evaluated the incidence of microplastics in the digestive tract contents of four fish species: Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, Callionymus lyra and Mullus surmuletus. Alkaline digestion (10% KOH) was used to degrade the organic matter. The percentage of fish with microplastics was 78% (88% fibres, 12% fragments). The main types of polymers identified by Raman spectroscopy were polyethylene and polypropylene. The diet of the four species was also studied and two feeding types were determined: plankton-feeders and benthic-feeders. The effect of a set of biological variables (Length, Fullness index, Fulton’s condition factor and Feeding type) on the number and size of microplastics ingested was studied using Generalised Additive Models (GAMs). A significant increase in the number of microplastics with increasing length was observed. No significant effect of trophic variables (fullness index and feeding type) on the number and size of microplastics was found.

 


Title: Ingestion of plastic debris (macro and micro) by longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) in the North Atlantic Ocean
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date: January 2020
Download: Link to publication
Description: This study evaluates the ingestion of plastic marine debris (macro and micro plastics) by a piscivorous predator, Alepisaurus ferox Lowe (1833). A total of 27 specimens were captured in 2015 and 2016 in the North Atlantic (around 34º–36º N and 10º–16º W) and their stomachs were dissected and inspected for plastic elements. Macroplastic particles were found in 37% of fish, with an average weight of 0.46 ± 1.14 g with film being the most abundant category (60%). The main polymers characterized were Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE). Microplastics were found in 74% of the stomachs, with item values per individual ranging from 0 to 16, with an average value of 4.7 ± 4.8 items per stomach. Only microfibers and fragments were observed, with microfibers (85 %) being the dominant type.

 


Title: Will COVID-19 Containment and Treatment Measures Drive Shifts in Marine Litter Pollution?
Responsible Partner: ARDITI, OSPAR and DRAAC
Date: August 2020
Download: Link to publication
Description: This opinion article underlines the authors’ concern about the mass use of disposable masks and other personal protective equipment without a concerted strategy for their recycling, which could result in an increase of litter entering the marine ecosystems. The paper intends to act as a call on policy makers and international organizations to maintain their goals in plastic reduction in the oceans and to adapt their litter monitoring programs so as to identify litter from the use and disposal of personal protective equipment.

 

Participation in Conferences and Symposiums


Title: Hitch-hikers on marine debris: understanding new arrivals in an offshore island
Responsible Partner: ARDITI
Date & event: 16th – 18th October 2018, International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions (Patagonia, Argentina)
Download: Abstract
Description: João Canning-Clode (ARDITI) presented the ARDITI research program to evaluate marine debris as a possible vector for introduction of NIS to Madeira Island (NE Atlantic) by engaging and establishing a cooperation protocol with stakeholders (e.g. fishermen, dive operators and whale and bird watching companies).

 


Title: Ingestion of plastic debris (Macro and micro) by longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) in the North Atlantic Ocean
Responsible Partner: IEO Vigo
Date & event: 19th -23rd November 2018, MICRO 2018, Lanzarote (Spain)
Download: Abstract 
Description: This study evaluates the ingestion of plastic marine debris by Alepisaurus ferox (Longnose lancetfish),with the goal of quantifying the amount and type of debris ingested.

 


Title: What Is the Potential of Satellite Data in Mapping Plastic Litter Hotspots?
Responsible Partner: CEFAS
Date & event: 23rd – 25th January 2019, Atlantic from Space Conference (ESA) in Southampton, UK.
Download: Abstract and poster.
Description: Lenka Fronkova from CEFAS, presented this work that deals with the use of satellite data to developing cost effective, re-peatable and fast methods that estimate the marine litter amount in and its distribution.