title: Deepwater marine litter densities and composition from submersible video-transects around the ABC-islands, Dutch Caribbean.
abstract: Baseline data on anthropogenic seafloor debris contamination in the year 2000 is provided for 24 submersible video transects at depths of 80-900 m, off the Dutch ABC-islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. In total, 202 objects were documented from a combined 21,184 m of transect, ranging from sandy lower island-slope to rocky upper island-slope habitat. Debris densities differed significantly with depth. Highest debris accumulation (0.459 items 100 m(-2) or 4590 items per km(2)) occurred at depths of 300-600 m on more shallow-sloping (20-30°) sand and silt bottoms. The overall average debris density was 0.27 objects per 100 m(2) (or 2700 items per km(2)), which is an order of magnitude higher than most other deepwater debris studies. What we describe may be representative for other small, populated, steep volcanic Caribbean islands. Food and beverage-related items were the single largest usage category identified (44% of objects; mostly glass beverage bottles).
authors.affiliation: Institute for Marine Research and Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 57, 1780AB Den Helder, The Netherlands; CARMABI Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, P.O. Box 2090, Dutch Caribbean, Curaçao. Electronic address: dolfi.debrot@wur.nl.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Debrot
authors.affiliation: Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein, Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 1528, 8901 BV Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: erwin.vinke@wur.nl.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vinke
authors.affiliation: Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein, Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 1528, 8901 BV Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: guusvanderwende@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van der Wende
authors.affiliation: Hogeschool Van Hall Larenstein, Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 1528, 8901 BV Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: alwin.hylkema@wur.nl.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hylkema
authors.affiliation: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, United States. Electronic address: jreed12@hboi.fau.edu.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D017691:Caribbean Region; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062312:Islands; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014866:Waste Products
keywords: Caribbean; Debris; Deepwater; Marine; Pollution; Seafloor