Citizen scientists reveal: marine litter pollutes

beaches and affects wild life

(© B. (© Lutz) B.

Melanie Bergmann

Birgit Lutz, Mine Tekman, Lars Gutow How it started

9000 ~ 2500 m depth 8000

7000

6000

5000

) 4000

3000

2000 Soltwedel

Fram Strait 1000

0

2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 (Source: T.(Source: (Bergmann & Klages 2012, Tekman et al. 2017)

Strong increase in litter quantities on deep Arctic seafloor (2002 – 2014) Pollution Observatory (Frontiers in Arctic Marine Monitoring)

Ice cores & snow

Sea surface: observer, UAV, neuston nets

Water column: particle traps, pumps

Aim: Sample litter and microplastic from the cryosphere to the seafloor Seafloor: multiple corer, OFOS to identify sinks and pathways

Beach: citizen clean ups Methods

• Instruction via skype • Provided material: balances, GPS, protocol • Litter (> 1cm) picking along laid out transects • Sorting and weight recordings • One big-pack sample → Bremerhaven Results from surveys in 2016

14 Isflakbukta S China, India, Japan -2 3 - 29 - 5,800 g m Crozierpynten 9

20 Alpiniøya Reinstrandodden 524

Fram Barents Strait Sea Brucebukta 22 26 Sørvika Svalbard beaches 9 - 524 g m-2

(⑨ in g m-2; Bergmann et al. 2017) Possible sources

Kiepertøya Possible sources

• 60% ‘local‘ sources • 40% more distant sources

1% 3% Possible sources and pathways

Projected movement of floating plastic released from UK coast (ADRIFT tool) (Source: Van Sebille et al. 2016) (Source: Van Sebille et al. 2012)

• Build up of plastic debris from distant Atlantic sources Possible sources and pathways

(Data: Harbourmaster of Svalbard) (Data: Norwegian Fisheries Directorate)

• Increasing local emmission because of increased Arctic traffic due to retreating sea ice (tourism, fisheries, merchant shipping) Possible sources and pathways

(From: Outridge et al. 2008) • Leakage from Arctic rivers and the Pacific? Documenting impacts on Arctic wildlife

(Bergmann et al. 2017, Mar Poll Bull) Reindeer, seals, Arctic terns and polar bears become entangled in beached litter Summary

• Litter quantities on remote Arctic beaches are in range with populated Asian beaches • Arctic beaches appear to be sinks for marine litter from distant and increasing local sources • This puts additional pressure on stressed Arctic wildlife • Data from citizen scientists can be used to fill important knowledge gaps for remote under-sampled areas

(www.litterbase.org) Outlook

• Analyse results from observer surveys of floating litter • Increase coverage: further clean-ups at more beaches of Svalbard • Temporal trends: repeated surveys • Snow-sampling and beach surveys on Svalbard by hybrid aerial vehicle (with K & M Photo Expeditions) • Further beach surveys west off (Arved Fuchs Expedition)

Greenland

North Atlantic (Photo: B. Lutz; UAV profile of Arctic beach © K & M Photo Expeditions) Pollution Observatory

Sebastian Primpke More presentations featuring results Monday,16:30 from FRAM Pollution Observatory: St. Tropez Ice cores & snow

Sea surface: observer, UAV, neuston nets Mine Tekman Thursday,11:15 St. Tropez

Water column: particle traps, pumps

Melanie Bergmann Tuesday,14:45 Monte Carlo Seafloor: multiple corer, OFOS

Beach: citizen clean ups Thanks!

• Various citizens, Sysselmannen, David Shaw Wildlife, Julia Hager • Crews and expedition staff of SV Antigua, MV Plancius, SV Noorderlicht • Cruise operators: Tallship Company, Oceanwide Expeditions • Niklaas Schmidt – help sorting big pack

Contact: [email protected]