Anthropogenic marine debris is an increasing concern because of its potential negative impacts onmarine ecosystems. Due to the technical challenges and prohibitive costs of conducting researchin the deep sea, little is known about the abundance, types, sources, and impacts of human refuse on this vast habitat, and the extreme depths to which this debris is penetrating has only recently been exposed. We reviewed 1149 video records of marine debris from 22 years of remotely operated vehicle deployments in Monterey Bay, covering depths from 25 m to 3971 m. We characterize debris by type, examine patterns of distribution, and discuss potential sources and dispersal mechanisms.
Available in English.