Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Biodiversity

Invasions by marine life on plastic debris

Nature volume 416, pages 808–809 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Colonization by alien species poses one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity1. Here I investigate the colonization by marine organisms of drift debris deposited on the shores of 30 remote islands from the Arctic to the Antarctic (across all oceans) and find that human litter more than doubles the rafting opportunities for biota, particularly at high latitudes. Although the poles may be protected from invasion by freezing sea surface temperatures, these may be under threat as the fastest-warming areas anywhere2 are at these latitudes.

This is a preview of subscription content

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

Figure 1: A global picture of shore debris.
Figure 2: Colonization of man-made and natural debris by marine organisms at different latitudes.

References

  1. Goldberg, E. D. Chem. Ecol. 10, 3–8 (1995).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Quale, W., Peck, L. S., Peat, H., Ellis-Evans, J. C. & Harrigan, P. R. Science 295, 645 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Thresher, R. E. & Brothers, E. B. Evolution 39, 878–887 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Highsmith, R. C. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 25, 169–179 (1985).

    ADS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Jokiel, P. L. Endeavour 14, 66–73 (1990).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. British Ecological Society Bulletin Annual Report (1999).

  7. Walker, T. R., Reid, K., Arnould, J. P. Y. & Croxall, J. P. Mar. Poll. Bull. 34, 61–65 (1997).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Barnes, D. K. A. & Sanderson, W. A. in Proc. 11th Int. Bryozool. Assoc. Conf. (eds Herrera Cubilla, A. & Jackson, J. B. C.) 154–160 (Smithsonian Tropical Res. Inst., Panama, 2000).

  9. Winston, J. E., Gregory, M. R. & Stevens, L. M. in Marine Debris: Sources, Impact and Solutions (eds Coe, J. M. & Rogers, D. B.) 81–97 (Springer, New York, 1997).

  10. Murphy, J. M. & Mitchell, J. F. B. J. Climate 8, 469–514 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dunton, K. Trends Ecol. Evol. 7, 185–189 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gregory, M. R. Ocean Coastal Manag. 42, 603–615 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bonner, W. N. & McCann, T. S. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 57, 73–77 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK

    David K. A. Barnes

  2. Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    David K. A. Barnes

Authors
  1. David K. A. Barnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David K. A. Barnes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Barnes, D. Invasions by marine life on plastic debris. Nature 416, 808–809 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/416808a

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/416808a

Further reading

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing