The physical oceanography of the transport of floating marine debris
Физическая океанография переноса плавающего морского мусора
2020-01-20
SCID: 54.1/5ntxd69t
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Ekman convergencefloating marine plastic debrisocean surface transportphysical oceanographyremote sensing
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Abstract (AI)
Abstract Marine plastic debris floating on the ocean surface is a major environmental problem. However, its distribution in the ocean is poorly mapped, and most of the plastic waste estimated to have entered the ocean from land is unaccounted for. Better understanding of how plastic debris is transported from coastal and marine sources is crucial to quantify and close the global inventory of marine plastics, which in turn represents critical information for mitigation or policy strategies. At the same time, plastic is a unique tracer that provides an opportunity to learn more about the physics and dynamics of our ocean across multiple scales, from the Ekman convergence in basin-scale gyres to individual waves in the surfzone. In this review, we comprehensively discuss what is known about the different processes that govern the transport of floating marine plastic debris in both the open ocean and the coastal zones, based on the published literature and referring to insights from neighbouring fields such as oil spill dispersion, marine safety recovery, plankton connectivity, and others. We discuss how measurements of marine plastics (both in situ and in the laboratory), remote sensing, and numerical simulations can elucidate these processes and their interactions across spatio-temporal scales.
Key Findings
1
Floating marine plastic debris is poorly mapped, and most plastic estimated to enter the ocean from land remains unaccounted for.
2
In situ and laboratory measurements, remote sensing, and numerical simulations collectively help resolve the processes governing floating-plastic transport, drawing on insights from oil spills, marine safety, and plankton connectivity.
3
Plastic debris can serve as a tracer for studying ocean dynamics, including basin-scale Ekman convergence and wave-driven transport in the surf zone.
4
Transport from coastal and marine sources is governed by interacting physical processes across open-ocean and coastal environments and multiple spatial and temporal scales.
5
Understanding debris transport is essential for closing the global marine-plastic inventory and informing mitigation and policy strategies.
Research Object
floating marine plastic debris in the open ocean and coastal zones
Research Subject
the physical processes and spatiotemporal dynamics governing the transport and distribution of floating marine plastic debris across oceanic and coastal scales
Publication Details
Publication Date
2020-01-20
Journal
Environmental Research Letters
Publisher
IOP Publishing
ISSN
1748-9326
Cited by
991
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