Seafloor marine litter and associated macrofouling communities in fishing grounds along the south-eastern Black Sea coast (Türkiye)
Regional Studies in Marine Science, cilt.101, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 101
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.rsma.2026.105293
- Dergi Adı: Regional Studies in Marine Science
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Zoological Record
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Black Sea, Fouling organisms, Invasive species, Plastic, Plastisphere
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The composition and density of marine macro-litter on the seafloor, together with the associated macrofouling assemblages, were investigated on the continental shelf of the south-eastern Black Sea in March and July 2022. A total of 833 litter items weighing 382 kg were collected during eight bottom-trawl hauls. Plastics were the dominant material category, accounting for approximately 72% of the total litter by number and 37% by weight. The overall mean litter densities were 451 items km⁻² and 106 kg km⁻². A total of 19 macrofouling taxa belonging to six phyla Cnidaria, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Bryozoa and Chordata were identified on plastic litter items. The hydrozoans Clytia linearis and Obelia dichotoma are reported here for the first time from the Black Sea. Six non-indigenous taxa were also recorded among the organisms colonizing plastic debris. The high abundance of plastic litter on the seafloor raises concern regarding its ecological effects on benthic habitats. The findings further demonstrate that persistent plastic debris provides artificial substrates for diverse fouling assemblages, including non-indigenous taxa, and may contribute to habitat connectivity and the secondary spread of fouling organisms in the Black Sea.