Geology Reference
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Figure 16 Distribution of total hydrocarbons (total aliphatic and aromatic) in sediments
from the Caspian Sea (mgg 1 dry wt)
(From Tolosa et al., 2004. 31 )
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) that
outlaw such practices. However, the problem of seaborne litter remains
global in extent and not even Antarctica has been left unaffected. 32
The debris consists of many different materials, which tending to be
non-degradable endures in the marine environment for many years. The
most notorious are the plastics (e.g., bottles, sheets, fishing gear, pack-
aging materials and small pellets), but also includes glass bottles, tin
cans and lumber. This litter constitutes an aesthetic eyesore on beaches,
but more importantly can be potentially lethal to marine organisms.
Deleterious impacts on marine birds and mammals result from entan-
glement and ingestion. Lost or discarded plastic fishing nets remain
functional and can continue ''ghost fishing'' for several years. This is
similarly true for traps and pots that go astray. Plastic debris settling on
soft and hard bottoms can smother benthos and limit gas exchange with
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