Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026

Data Collection on Marine Litter Ingestion in Sea Turtles and Thresholds for Good Environmental Status
Published on: May 18, 2019
Marine debris impacts to a tidal fringing-marsh in North Carolina
Amy V Uhrin1, Jennifer Schellinger
1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA. amy.uhrin@noaa.gov
Abstract:
We evaluated injuries to Spartina alterniflora by debris items common to North Carolina coastal waters as a function of debris type (wire blue crab pots, vehicle tires, and anthropogenic wood) and deployment duration, and monitored S. alterniflora recovery following debris removal. Injuries sustained by S. alterniflora and subsequent recovery, varied considerably between debris types. Differences were likely due to dissimilarities in the structure and composition of debris. Tires caused an immediate (within 3 weeks) and long-term impact to S. alterniflora; tire footprints remained devoid of vegetation 14 months post-removal. Conversely, crab pot impacts were not as abrupt and recovery was short-term (<10 months). We suggest that removal programs specifically target habitats that are susceptible to negative impacts (e.g., salt marsh) and prone to debris accumulation. Management would benefit from the inclusion of habitat information in removal databases.
More Related Videos
05:31Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris
Published on: July 28, 2018
10:05Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation
Published on: July 4, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Habitat Fragmentation
Marine Microbial Ecology
Tidal Forces
Freshwater Microbial Ecology
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
Effect of Sea Water on Concrete
Concrete in areas between tide marks, which undergo...