Seafloor Litter - Material categories percentage per trawl per year

This visualization product displays the marine litter material categories percentage per trawl per year.

EMODnet Chemistry included the collection of marine litter in its 3rd phase. Since the beginning of 2018, data of seafloor litter collected by international fish-trawl surveys have been gathered and processed in the EMODnet Chemistry Marine Litter Database (MLDB). The harmonization of all the data has been the most challenging task considering the heterogeneity of the data sources, sampling protocols (OSPAR and MEDITS protocols) and reference lists used on a European scale. Moreover, within the same protocol, different gear types are deployed during fishing bottom trawl surveys.

Unlike other EMODnet seafloor litter products, all trawls surveyed since 2007 are included in this map even if the wingspread and/or the distance are unknown. Only surveys with an unknown number of items were excluded from this product.

Harmonization of the material categories between ICES and…