- Published:
Marine plastic litter as an artificial hard bottom fouling ground
Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen volume 44, pages 503–506 (1990)
Abstract
20 fouling organisms were observed on plastic litter dredged from the Elbe estuary during July 1990; 60% of the species were typical sessile hard bottom organisms. Most individuals found on this artificial hard bottom were barnacles (Balanus crenatus, Elminius modestus), the musselMytilus edulis and the polychaeteLanice conchilega. All individuals were juveniles which had settled only recently on the plastics. The earliest settlers were not much older than 4–8 weeks.
Literature Cited
Anger, K., 1978. Development of a subtidal epifaunal community at the island Helgoland.—Helgoländer wiss. Meeresunters.31, 457–470.
Anonymous, 1975. Assessing potential ocean pollutants. Natn. Acad. Sci., Washington, D.C., 438 pp.
Barnes, H. & Barnes, M., 1962. The growth rate ofElminius modestus (Crust., Cirripedia) in Scotland. —Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol.47, 481–486.
Carpenter, E. J. & Smith, K. L., 1972. Plastics on the Sargasso Sea surface.—Science, N.Y.175, 1240–1241.
Carpenter, E. J., Anderson, S. L., Harvey, G. R., Miklas, H. P. & Peck, B. P., 1972. Polystyrene spherules in coastal waters.—Science, N.Y.178, 749–750.
Chalmer, P. N., 1982. Settlement patterns of species in a marine fouling community and some mechanisms of succession.—J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol.58, 73–85.
Colton, J. B., Knapp, F. D. & Bruns, B. R., 1974. Plastic particles in surface waters of the north west Atlantic.—Science, N.Y.185, 491–497.
Dixon, T. R. & Cooke, A. J., 1977. Discarded containers on a Kent beach.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.8, 105–109
Dixon, T. J. & Dixon, T. R., 1983. Marine litter distribution and composition in the sea.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.4, 145–148.
Harms, J., 1982. Untersuchungen zur Larvalentwicklung und zum Wachstum von Seepocken der Deutschen Bucht.—Dipl.Arb., TH Darmstadt, 118 pp.
Horsman, P., 1982. The amount of garbage pollution from merchant ships.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.13, 167–169.
Klausewitz, W., 1984. Kunststoffe an der Küste und im Meer—ein ökologisches Problem.—Natur Mus., Frankfurt114, 162–174.
Laist, D. W., 1987. Overview of the biological effect of lost and discarded plastic debris in the marine environment.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.18, 319–326.
Morris, R. J., 1980. Plastic debris in the surface waters of the south Atlantic.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.11, 332–336.
Pyefinch, K. A., 1948. Notes on the biology of cirripedes.—J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K.27, 464–503.
Shaw, D. G. & Maps, G. A., 1979. Surface circulation and distribution of pelagic tar and plastics.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.10, 160–162.
Shiber, J. G., 1979. Plastic pellets on the coast of Lebanon.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.10, 28–30.
Vauk, G. J. M. & Schrey, E., 1987. Litter pollution from ships in the German Bight.—Mar. Pollut. Bull.18, 316–319.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harms, J. Marine plastic litter as an artificial hard bottom fouling ground. Helgolander Meeresunters 44, 503–506 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02365483
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02365483