The true depth of the Mediterranean plastic problem: Extreme microplastic pollution on marine turtle nesting beaches in Cyprus

Emily M. Duncan; Jessica Arrowsmith; Charlotte Bain; Annette C. Broderick; Jonathon Lee; Kristian Metcalfe; Stephen K. Pikesley; Robin T.E. Snape; Erik van Sebille; Brendan J. Godley

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019

The true depth of the Mediterranean plastic problem: Extreme microplastic pollution on marine turtle nesting beaches in Cyprus

Emily M. Duncan
, Jessica Arrowsmith
, Charlotte Bain
, Annette C. Broderick
, Jonathon Lee
, Kristian Metcalfe
, Stephen K. Pikesley
, Robin T.E. Snape
, Erik van Sebille^*
, Brendan J. Godley

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We sampled 17 nesting sites for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Cyprus. Microplastics (<5 mm) were found at all locations and depths, with particularly high abundance in superficial sand. The top 2 cm of sand presented grand mean ± SD particle counts of 45,497 ± 11,456 particles m⁻³ (range 637–131,939 particles m⁻³). The most polluted beaches were among the worst thus far recorded, presenting levels approaching those previously recorded in Guangdong, South China. Microplastics decreased with increasing sand depth but were present down to turtle nest depths of 60 cm (mean 5,325 ± 3,663 particles m⁻³. Composition varied among beaches but hard fragments (46.5 ± 3.5%) and pre-production nurdles (47.8 ± 4.5%) comprised most categorised pieces. Particle drifter analysis hindcast for 365 days indicated that most plastic likely originated from the eastern Mediterranean basin. Worsening microplastic abundance could result in anthropogenically altered life history parameters such as hatching success and sex ratios in marine turtles.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	334-340
Number of pages	7
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	136
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2018

Funding

The authors would like to thank all the volunteers who assisted with fieldwork as part of the Marine Turtle Conservation Project, a collaboration between the Marine Turtle Research Group, The Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) and the North Cyprus Department of Environmental Protection. We thank the latter department for their continued permission and support. Field work in Cyprus is supported British High Commission in Cyprus, British Residents Society of North Cyprus, Erwin Warth Foundation, Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell, Karsiyaka Turtle Watch Turtle Watch, MAVA Foundation, Peoples Trust for Endangered Species, Tony and Angela Wadsworth and the English School of Kyrenia, United States Agency for International Development, Turkish Cypriot Presidency. EMD receives generous support from Roger de Freitas , the Sea Life Trust and the University of Exeter . BJG, KM and ACB receive support from the Darwin Initiative ( 23-011 and 23-012 ). EvS has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 715386 ). Field work in Cyprus has been supported by the MAVA foundation, and Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell. The manuscript was improved as a result of the Editor and three anonymous referees. Appendix A

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

Marine turtles
Nesting beach
Oceanographic models
Plastic

Access to Document

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019

1-s2.0-S0025326X18306581-mainFinal published version, 1.57 MB

Cite this

Duncan, E. M., Arrowsmith, J., Bain, C., Broderick, A. C., Lee, J., Metcalfe, K., Pikesley, S. K., Snape, R. T. E., van Sebille, E., & Godley, B. J. (2018). The true depth of the Mediterranean plastic problem: Extreme microplastic pollution on marine turtle nesting beaches in Cyprus. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 136, 334-340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019

@article{2b9678fb571642389a692715edc079ea,

title = "The true depth of the Mediterranean plastic problem: Extreme microplastic pollution on marine turtle nesting beaches in Cyprus",

abstract = "We sampled 17 nesting sites for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Cyprus. Microplastics (<5 mm) were found at all locations and depths, with particularly high abundance in superficial sand. The top 2 cm of sand presented grand mean ± SD particle counts of 45,497 ± 11,456 particles m−3 (range 637–131,939 particles m−3). The most polluted beaches were among the worst thus far recorded, presenting levels approaching those previously recorded in Guangdong, South China. Microplastics decreased with increasing sand depth but were present down to turtle nest depths of 60 cm (mean 5,325 ± 3,663 particles m−3. Composition varied among beaches but hard fragments (46.5 ± 3.5\%) and pre-production nurdles (47.8 ± 4.5\%) comprised most categorised pieces. Particle drifter analysis hindcast for 365 days indicated that most plastic likely originated from the eastern Mediterranean basin. Worsening microplastic abundance could result in anthropogenically altered life history parameters such as hatching success and sex ratios in marine turtles.",

keywords = "Marine turtles, Nesting beach, Oceanographic models, Plastic",

author = "Duncan, \{Emily M.\} and Jessica Arrowsmith and Charlotte Bain and Broderick, \{Annette C.\} and Jonathon Lee and Kristian Metcalfe and Pikesley, \{Stephen K.\} and Snape, \{Robin T.E.\} and \{van Sebille\}, Erik and Godley, \{Brendan J.\}",

year = "2018",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019",

language = "English",

volume = "136",

pages = "334--340",

journal = "Marine Pollution Bulletin",

issn = "0025-326X",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The true depth of the Mediterranean plastic problem

T2 - Extreme microplastic pollution on marine turtle nesting beaches in Cyprus

AU - Duncan, Emily M.

AU - Arrowsmith, Jessica

AU - Bain, Charlotte

AU - Broderick, Annette C.

AU - Lee, Jonathon

AU - Metcalfe, Kristian

AU - Pikesley, Stephen K.

AU - Snape, Robin T.E.

AU - van Sebille, Erik

AU - Godley, Brendan J.

PY - 2018/11/1

Y1 - 2018/11/1

N2 - We sampled 17 nesting sites for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Cyprus. Microplastics (<5 mm) were found at all locations and depths, with particularly high abundance in superficial sand. The top 2 cm of sand presented grand mean ± SD particle counts of 45,497 ± 11,456 particles m−3 (range 637–131,939 particles m−3). The most polluted beaches were among the worst thus far recorded, presenting levels approaching those previously recorded in Guangdong, South China. Microplastics decreased with increasing sand depth but were present down to turtle nest depths of 60 cm (mean 5,325 ± 3,663 particles m−3. Composition varied among beaches but hard fragments (46.5 ± 3.5%) and pre-production nurdles (47.8 ± 4.5%) comprised most categorised pieces. Particle drifter analysis hindcast for 365 days indicated that most plastic likely originated from the eastern Mediterranean basin. Worsening microplastic abundance could result in anthropogenically altered life history parameters such as hatching success and sex ratios in marine turtles.

AB - We sampled 17 nesting sites for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Cyprus. Microplastics (<5 mm) were found at all locations and depths, with particularly high abundance in superficial sand. The top 2 cm of sand presented grand mean ± SD particle counts of 45,497 ± 11,456 particles m−3 (range 637–131,939 particles m−3). The most polluted beaches were among the worst thus far recorded, presenting levels approaching those previously recorded in Guangdong, South China. Microplastics decreased with increasing sand depth but were present down to turtle nest depths of 60 cm (mean 5,325 ± 3,663 particles m−3. Composition varied among beaches but hard fragments (46.5 ± 3.5%) and pre-production nurdles (47.8 ± 4.5%) comprised most categorised pieces. Particle drifter analysis hindcast for 365 days indicated that most plastic likely originated from the eastern Mediterranean basin. Worsening microplastic abundance could result in anthropogenically altered life history parameters such as hatching success and sex ratios in marine turtles.

KW - Marine turtles

KW - Nesting beach

KW - Oceanographic models

KW - Plastic

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85053780218

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.019

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85053780218

SN - 0025-326X

VL - 136

SP - 334

EP - 340

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

ER -

The true depth of the Mediterranean plastic problem: Extreme microplastic pollution on marine turtle nesting beaches in Cyprus

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this