Posidonia oceanica wrack intercepts plastic debris: First evaluated evidence on Maltese beaches
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Plastic debris constitutes a major solid waste pollutant, endangering the marine ecosystem and contributing to sediment accumulation. The presence of plastics in Posidonia oceanica banquettes poses risks for organisms that rely on this habitats for shelter and feeding. P. oceanica meadows offer vital ecosystem services, including habitat provision for marine organisms, oxygen production, CO2 absorption, climate change mitigation, and seawater filtration. At the end of their life cycle, these seagrass leaves dislodge and accumulate on shorelines as seagrass wrack. Therefore, P. oceanica banquettes on Mediterranean beaches may serve as indicators for plastic debris pollution in the coastal ecosystem. This study for the first time quantified and evaluated the abundance of plastic debris intercepted by the deposits of P. oceanica banquettes on Maltese beaches which include Qalet Marku, Xemxija, and Ramla tal-Qortin. The highest volume of P. oceanica on the beach was recorded in Qalet Marku (730.71 m3), with an average concentration of plastic items recorded as 24.75 items/m2. In Xemxija, the average concentration was 102.42 items/m2 while the average concentration in Ramla tal-Qortin was 32.25 items/m2. The most polluted beach was Xemxija with a high level of anthropogenic activities observed around the beach. The research therefore provides the baseline evidence of macro-, meso-, and micro-plastics trapped within the banquette of P. oceanica on Maltese beaches.
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,030
OpenAlex ID: W4413655475