Marine Debris on the Seafloor of the Mediterranean Sea: Examples from Two Enclosed Gulfs in Western Greece

During two daylong surveys aboard fishing boats, one in Patras Gulf and the other in Echinadhes Gulf, marine debris retained in the trawl nets was examined. The marine debris concentration on the seafloor of Patras and Echinadhes Gulfs is 240 and 89 items/km2, respectively. The most abundant debris is plastic followed by metal. The high percentage of beverage packaging in Echinadhes Gulf is attributed to shipping traffic, whilst the high percentage of general packaging in Patras Gulf suggests that the source of this material may be on land and it is transported into the gulf by rivers and seasonal streams.