Benthic marine litter in the Marmara Sea, Turkey

This study presents the first data on benthic marine litter in the Marmara Sea, Turkey. To obtain the data, bottom trawl surveys were conducted at 34 sites between May 2017 and February 2018. The litter items were sampled and sorted following the MEDITS’ relevant instructions. 660 pieces of litter, weighing 434.9 kg, were sampled. The litter density was found to range between 27.5 n/km2 and 661.2 n/km2, averaging 73.9 n/km2, and the obtained items’ weights ranged between 0.03 kg/km2 and 1597.8 kg/km2, averaging 48.7 kg/km2. The plastic group L1 constituted 71.7% of the trawled litter. The highest mean litter density was detected in the Northeastern Marmara Sea in the spring and summer of 2018. The mean benthic litter density was found to be higher than the nearby areas. It was concluded that more effort should be invested in reducing marine pollution.