title: Distribution and assessment of marine debris in the deep Tyrrhenian Sea (NW Mediterranean Sea, Italy).
abstract: Marine debris is a recognized global ecological concern. Little is known about the extent of the problem in the Mediterranean Sea regarding litter distribution and its influence on deep rocky habitats. A quantitative assessment of debris present in the deep seafloor (30-300 m depth) was carried out in 26 areas off the coast of three Italian regions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The dominant type of debris (89%) was represented by fishing gears, mainly lines, while plastic objects were recorded only occasionally. Abundant quantities of gears were found on rocky banks in Sicily and Campania (0.09-0.12 debris m(-2)), proving intense fishing activity. Fifty-four percent of the recorded debris directly impacted benthic organisms, primarily gorgonians, followed by black corals and sponges. This work provides a first insight on the impact of marine debris in Mediterranean deep ecosystems and a valuable baseline for future comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), III Dipartimento Tutela degli Habitat e della Biodiversità Marina, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: michela.angiolillo@isprambiente.it.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angiolillo
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), III Dipartimento Tutela degli Habitat e della Biodiversità Marina, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: bianca.dilorenzo@isprambiente.it.
authors.forename: Bianca di
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: alessio.farcomeni@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farcomeni
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Genova, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Corso Europa 16, 16132 Genova, Italy. Electronic address: marzia.bo@unige.it.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Genova, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Corso Europa 16, 16132 Genova, Italy. Electronic address: giorgio.bavestrello@unige.it.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bavestrello
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Pisa, Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Alessandro Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: gsantangelo@biologia.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.affiliation: Università di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Viale Poetto 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: cau@unica.it.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cau
authors.affiliation: Università di Napoli Parthenope, Dipartimento di Scienze Applicate, Centro Direzionale, Is. C4, 80143 Napoli, Italy. Electronic address: vincenzamastascusa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mastascusa
authors.affiliation: Università di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Viale Poetto 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: alessandrocau@unica.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cau
authors.affiliation: Università di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia, Viale Poetto 1, 09126 Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: flaviosacco@unica.it.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), III Dipartimento Tutela degli Habitat e della Biodiversità Marina, Via Vitaliano Brancati 60, 00144 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: simonepietro.canese@isprambiente.it.
authors.forename: Simonepietro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000502:physiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology; D007558:Italy; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis; D014866:Waste Products / Q000032:analysis*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014866:Waste Products
keywords: Deep rocky bottom; Fishing impact; Lost fishing gears; Mediterranean Sea; ROV survey; Submerged marine debris