Coastal debris survey in a Remote Island of the Chilean Northern Patagonia

D. Perez-Venegas, H. Pavés, J. Pulgar, C. Ahrendt, M. Seguel, C. J. Galbán-Malagón

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Global marine litter pollution is increasing dramatically, and oceanic islands are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems due to their high debris accumulation rate compared to continental sites. Remote areas, such as inhabited islands, represent a perfect study case to track marine debris sources, due to the assumed low rates of local production of debris. Guafo Island is one of the largest islands of the Chilean Northern Patagonia and is considered a remote zone. The accessible coast of Guafo Island was monitored during four austral summers revealing higher levels of marine debris accumulation than continental Chile. Plastic was the most abundant type of debris constituting 50% of the total litter monitored. Our results suggest that most of the plastic identified is likely to be related to local fisheries activities. Mitigation measures including collaboration among fishing communities and scientists could contribute to reduce the coastal debris pollution in remote areas.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)530-534
Number of pages5
JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin
Volume125
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2017

Keywords

  • Chiloé
  • Fisheries pollution
  • Guafo
  • Marine debris
  • Plastics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oceanography
  • Aquatic Science
  • Pollution

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Coastal debris survey in a Remote Island of the Chilean Northern Patagonia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this