Invasions by marine life on plastic debris
Top Cited Papers
- 1 April 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Nature in Nature
- Vol. 416 (6883) , 808-809
- https://doi.org/10.1038/416808a
Abstract
Colonization by alien species poses one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity1. Here I investigate the colonization by marine organisms of drift debris deposited on the shores of 30 remote islands from the Arctic to the Antarctic (across all oceans) and find that human litter more than doubles the rafting opportunities for biota, particularly at high latitudes. Although the poles may be protected from invasion by freezing sea surface temperatures, these may be under threat as the fastest-warming areas anywhere2 are at these latitudes.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Extreme Responses to Climate Change in Antarctic LakesScience, 2002
- Plastics and South Pacific Island shores: environmental implicationsOcean & Coastal Management, 1999
- Encrusters, Epibionts, and Other Biota Associated with Pelagic Plastics: A Review of Biogeographical, Environmental, and Conservation IssuesPublished by Springer Nature ,1997
- Marine debris surveys at Bird Island, South Georgia 1990–1995Marine Pollution Bulletin, 1997
- The Health of the Oceans - A 1994 UpdateChemistry and Ecology, 1995
- Arctic biogeography: The paradox of the marine benthic fauna and floraTrends in Ecology & Evolution, 1992
- Long-distance dispersal by rafting: reemergence of an old hypothesisEndeavour, 1990
- REPRODUCTIVE ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF INDO-WEST PACIFIC ANGELFISHES (PISCES: POMACANTHIDAE)Evolution, 1985
- Floating and algal rafting as potential dispersal mechanisms in brooding invertebratesMarine Ecology Progress Series, 1985