![]() ![]() The transport and dispersal of marine biota on such items ( i.e. Introduction Rafting on anthropogenic marine debrisĪnthropogenic marine debris (AMD), consisting primarily of plastics, is a global problem with a wide range of impacts ( Bergmann, Gutow & Klages, 2015 Napper & Thompson, 2020). Our results highlight the possible importance of rafting as a vector of along-shore dispersal and range expansions along the SE Pacific continental coast and add to the discussion about its role in benthic species dispersal between South Pacific oceanic islands. Moreover, storm surges as well as site-related factors seem to influence AMD arrival patterns along the Chilean continental coast and might cause the observed high variability between sampling sites and days. These findings confirm the suitability of such models in predicting arrival hotspots of AMD and rafting species. Our results agree with the predictions made by recent models based on the prevailing wind and surface current regimes, with high frequencies of long-distance rafting in the oceanic SPSG centre and very low frequencies along the continental coast. Similarly, we present another record of local benthic corals Pocillopora sp., on Rapa Nui rafts. Apart from pelagic rafters, a wide range of benthic epibionts, including invasive and cryptogenic species, was found on rafts at the continental beaches. Minimum floating times of rafts, as estimated from the size of pelagic epibionts, were longest in the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre’s (SPSG) centre region, followed by the high-latitude continental region under the influence of the onshore West Wind Drift, and decreased along the continental alongshore upwelling current, towards lower latitudes. Daily accumulation of items with pelagic epibionts (indicators of a pelagic trajectory) ranged from 46 ± 29 (Rapa Nui) to 0.0 items km −1 d −1 (northern continental region). Total AMD accumulation rates varied from 56 ± 36 (mean ± standard deviation) to 388 ± 433 items km −1 d −1 and differed strongly between regions, in accordance with local geomorphology and socioeconomic conditions (presence of larger cities and rivers upstream, main economic activities, etc.). Using the Southeast Pacific as a model system, we studied daily accumulation rates, composition, and minimum floating times of AMD with and without epibionts on seven sandy beaches, covering the oceanic environment (Rapa Nui/Easter Island) and three regions (south, centre, north) along the Chilean continental coast, over a minimum of 10 consecutive days, and we contrast our results with predictions from published models. As accumulation patterns along global coastlines are largely unstudied, we tested if existing oceanographic models and knowledge about upstream sources of litter and epibionts can be used as a simple and cost-efficient approach for predicting probable arrival sites of AMD-rafting biota in coastal zones. Therefore, early identification of arrival sites of AMD and its epibionts is crucial for the prioritization of preventive measures. Long-distance rafting on anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) is thought to have a significant impact on global marine biogeography and the dispersal of non-indigenous species. Daily accumulation rates of floating debris and attached biota on continental and oceanic island shores in the SE Pacific: testing predictions based on global models. Cite this article Rech S, Arias RM, Vadell S, Gordon D, Thiel M. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited. ![]() Licence This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. Hint: Now we know that the number of arrangements of n objects where $$ by substituting r = n we get the number of arrangements of n objects which is nothing but n! as 0! = 1.4 Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile DOI 10.7717/peerj.15550 Published Accepted Received Academic Editor Haider Mahmood Subject Areas Ecology, Marine Biology, Environmental Contamination and Remediation, Biological Oceanography Keywords Anthropogenic marine debris, Floating litter, Marine currents, Marine invertebrates, Plastic pollution, South Pacific Subtropical Gyre, Marine debris accumulation patterns, Invasive species, Dispersal by rafting, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Copyright © 2023 Rech et al. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |