Anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) is frequently studied on sandy beaches and occasionally in coastal waters, but links between these two environments have rarely been studied. High densities of AMD were found in coastal waters and on local shores of a large bay system in northern-central Chile. No seasonal pattern in AMD densities was found, but there was a trend of increasing densities over the entire study period. While plastics and Styrofoam were the most common types of AMD both on shores and in coastal waters, AMD composition differed slightly between the two environments. The results suggest that AMD from coastal waters are deposited on local shores, which over time accumulate all types of AMD. The types and the very low percentages of AMD with epibionts point to mostly local sources. Based on these results, it can be concluded that a reduction of AMD will require local solutions.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	Anthropogenic marine debris,Local shores,Coastal waters,Plastics,SE Pacific
Research Division:	Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Research Group:	Fisheries sciences
Research Field:	Fisheries sciences not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Environmental Management
Objective Group:	Management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Objective Field:	Assessment and management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems
UTAS Author:	Hinojosa Toledo, IA (Mr Ivan Hinojosa)
ID Code:	88649
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	217
Deposited By:	Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration
Deposited On:	2014-02-12
Last Modified:	2014-05-19
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