The hotspots of entanglement for pinnipeds of the world

Pinnipeds represent one of the most vulnerable marine groups severely affected by entanglements. However, the lack of standardized data collection poses a challenge when comparing the impacts of fishing gear across various geographic regions. In this study, we employed Generalized Additive Models to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2023-10, Vol.195, p.115491-115491, Article 115491
Main Authors: Perez-Venegas, D.J., Hardesty, B.D., Wilcox, C., Galbán-Malagón, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ALDFG
Australia
data collection
Entanglement
Ghost nets
marine pollution
Pinnipedia
Pinnipeds
Plastic debris
species
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Summary:Pinnipeds represent one of the most vulnerable marine groups severely affected by entanglements. However, the lack of standardized data collection poses a challenge when comparing the impacts of fishing gear across various geographic regions. In this study, we employed Generalized Additive Models to predict entanglement incidents stemming from fishing-related activities for 13 pinniped species across the last four decades (1976–2017). The models incorporated reported entanglement numbers, fishing effort covariates based on different gear types, and floating plastic debris distribution for each species. Through this approach, we generated global hotspot maps that pinpoint regions of heightened vulnerability where pinnipeds are susceptible to entanglement in lost gear. The best-performing model highlighted both species characteristics and the presence of floating plastic debris as pivotal factors in predicting pinniped entanglements. Our analysis revealed entanglement hotspots in the North Pacific and Southeastern Australia. This demonstrates the efficacy of our methodology in identifying high-priority geographic areas. [Display omitted] •We assessed the risk of pinniped entanglement around the globe.•We evaluated 13 pinniped species from 17 colonies, using data from 1975 to 2016 to evaluate pinniped entanglement in 13 types of fishing gears.•Pinniped colonies in Hawaii (U.S.A.) and Kaikoura (New Zealand) islands showed the highest entanglement risk.•Ocean currents have the most relevant influence on entanglements to pinnipeds.•Pinnipeds can help quantify and abandoned, lost, or derelict fishing gear on a macro scale.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115491