title: Annual variation in neustonic micro- and meso-plastic particles and zooplankton in the Bay of Calvi (Mediterranean-Corsica).
abstract: The annual variation in neustonic plastic particles and zooplankton was studied in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica) between 30 August 2011 and 7 August 2012. Plastic particles were classified into three size classes, small microplastics (0.2-2mm), large microplastics (2-5mm) and mesoplastics (5-10mm). 74% of the 38 samples contained plastic particles of varying composition: e.g. filaments, polystyrene, thin plastic films. An average concentration of 6.2 particles/100 m(2) was observed. The highest abundance values (69 particles/100 m(2)) observed occurred during periods of low offshore wind conditions. These values rose in the same order of magnitude as in previous studies in the North Western Mediterranean. The relationships between the abundance values of the size classes between zooplankton and plastic particles were then examined. The ratio for the intermediate size class (2-5mm) reached 2.73. This would suggest a potential confusion for predators regarding planktonic prey of this size class.
authors.affiliation: MARE Center, Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium; STARESO, BP 33, F20260 Calvi, France. Electronic address: Amandine.collignon@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Collignon
authors.affiliation: MARE Center, Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium; STARESO, BP 33, F20260 Calvi, France. Electronic address: JH.Hecq@Ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Jean-Henri
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hecq
authors.affiliation: Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer), ZI FURIANI, 20600 Bastia, France. Electronic address: Francois.Galgani@ifremer.fr.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galgani
authors.affiliation: MARE Center, Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium. Electronic address: fcollard@doct.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.affiliation: MARE Center, Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium; STARESO, BP 33, F20260 Calvi, France. Electronic address: A.Goffart@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goffart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Mediterranean Sea; Mesoplastic particles; Microplastic particles; Neuston