PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A THING IN REMOTE ARCTIC BEACHES´
Beaches on remote Arctic islands may be sinks for marine litter and reflect pollution levels of the surrounding waters particularly well, researchers says in a study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.
The Arctic is home to animals found nowhere else on Earth, where you can find from polar bears, to sea birds. Using photographs provided and recorded by cruise tourists, german researchers shown deleterious effects of beach litter on Arctic wildlife, which is already under strong pressure from global climate change.
Litter quantities were similar to those from densely populated areas. Plastics accounted for almost 80% of the overall litter, most of which originated from fisheries. According to researchers, citizen scientists has a lot of potential in providying scientifically valuable data on the pollution of sensitive remote ecosystems. The results highlight the need to tackle the pollution of Arctic ecosystems.
Pictures: Images taken by citizen scientists showing interactions of Arctic animals with marine litter on Svalbard beaches:
Reference (Open access): Bergmann et al., 2017. Citizen scientists reveal: Marine litter pollutes Arctic beaches and affects wild life. Marine Pollution Bulletin
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