Creation year
2015
2 record(s)
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Status
draft
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Plastic pollution is ubiquitous throughout the marine environment, yet estimates of the global abundance and weight of floating plastics have lacked data, particularly from the Southern Hemisphere and remote regions. Here we report an estimate of the total number of plastic particles and their weight floating in the world’s oceans from 24 expeditions (2007–2013) across all five sub-tropical gyres, coastal Australia, Bay of Bengal and the Mediterranean Sea conducting surface net tows (N5680) and visual survey transects of large plastic debris (N5891). Using an oceanographic model of floating debris dispersal calibrated by our data, and correcting for wind-driven vertical mixing, we estimate a minimum of 5.25 trillion particles weighing 268,940 tons. When comparing between four size classes, two microplastic <4.75 mm and meso- and macroplastic >4.75 mm, a tremendous loss of microplastics is observed from the sea surface compared to expected rates of fragmentation, suggesting there are mechanisms at play that remove <4.75 mm plastic particles from the ocean surface.
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This product represents the predicted spatial patterns of selected temperate shark and ray species abundance. Species selection was based on ecological risk assessments, threatened species listings and data availability. The maps are based on existing CSIRO National Fish Collection maps, supplemented with fishery catch data, independent survey data and the expert knowledge of 20 shark and ray experts from the region. Structure equates to total species distribution, core distribution – an estimate of where 90% of the population will occur and where possible, nursery areas. The product can be used to identify movement corridors, breeding and feeding areas that overlap between species. This allows managers to identify areas of overlap that are of key conservation value to the species of interest.