Inhabiting the technosphere: The encroachment of anthropogenic marine litter in Neotropical mangrove forests and its use as habitat by macrobenthic biota

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 142; pp. 559 - 568
• Main Authors: Riascos, José M., Valencia, Natasha, Peña, Enrique J., Cantera, Jaime R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropocene; Anthropogenic changes; Anthropogenic factors; Bays; Benthos; Biota; Coastal ecology; Coastal zone; Colombia; Colonization; Distribution; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Encroachment; Environmental Monitoring; Estuaries; Food Chain; Food chains; Food webs; Habitat selection; Habitat utilization; Habitats; Leaching; Litter; Litters (births); Mangrove swamps; Mangroves; Marine debris; Marine organisms; Microhabitat; Microhabitats; Organic chemistry; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Polymers; Residential density; Rocky shores; Shores; Solid waste; Urban marine ecology; Urbanization; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution - analysis; Wetlands; Colombia; Solid waste; Estuaries; Anthropocene; Benthos; Urban marine ecology; Plastic pollution
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.010

Coastal urbanization is leading to the accumulation of anthropogenic litter. Understanding the distribution and habitat use of litter by marine biota is important to predict how organisms will respond to anthropogenic changes. We assessed the density, distribution and composition of surface macro-litter (SML) in mangrove forests in Buenaventura (Colombia) and analysed how these microhabitats are used by marine biota. SML density ranged from 2 to 314 g m−2 (0.22 to 35.5 items m−2), implying that mangrove forests surrounding Buenaventura city are among the most polluted coastal areas in the World. Biological assemblages colonizing SML differed according to position on the forest and litter type. The encroachment of SML in mangrove forest enables a seemingly transient colonization of resident and immigrant biota from intertidal rocky shores and subtidal hard bottoms. The successful colonization of SML poses questions regarding the potential for plastics or their leaching chemicals to transfer through food webs. [Display omitted] •Buenaventura is a major city port expanding in mangrove forests for centuries.•The density of marine litter in Buenaventura bay is among the highest in the world.•The proximity to urban areas influences the distribution of litter within the bay.•The density of trees influences the role of mangroves as sinks for marine litter.•Solid waste in Buenaventura is inhabited by resident and immigrant biota.