First report of deep-sea litter on the Brazilian continental slope, Southwestern Atlantic

Abstract

The presence of marine litter in the deep ocean (>200 m depth) may represent an invisible threat that has been neglected due to the scarcity of data. Herein, we provide the first report of persistent marine litter on the Southwestern Atlantic continental slope. Marine litter was collected onboard the Brazilian R/V Alpha Crucis, using bottom trawling, in 28 out of 31 sampled stations, between 274 and 1520 m depth, in two distinct areas off the southern Brazilian coast. In total, 603 items and 13.8 kg of litter were collected and classified according to the type of material. Plastic was the most frequent and most abundant material found. Although there was no bathymetric variation along the slope, density of litter was considerably higher off São Paulo than off Santa Catarina State, supposedly due to the heavier presence of oil and gas platforms and large cargo vessels.

Keywords: Brazilian economic exclusive zone; Marine pollution; Plastic; R/V alpha Crucis; Seafloor litter.