Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Marine Pollution Bulletin, sa.223 (2026), ss.1-9, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)
Offshore aquaculture is a rapidly growing sector, yet its contribution to marine plastic pollution remains poorly quantified. This study investigates plastic emissions from polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) mooring ropes used in Türkiye’s Black Sea offshore aquaculture industry, focusing on degradation rates and annual environmental plastic loads. A total of 97 offshore fish farms, with a total production capacity of 132,416 tones/ year, were surveyed, and 1391.699 km of mooring ropes (3068.06 tons) were identified in use. Polypropylene (PP) ropes exhibited higher release at the surface (1.813 %) compared to polyethylene (PE) ropes (1.729 %), with both materials showing decreased weight loss with increasing depth (e.g., 0.296 % for PP and 0.316 % for PE at 20–30 m). Environmental data indicated a progressive increase in salinity (17.84 to 18.28 ppt) and decrease in temperature (16.74 ◦C to 10.91 ◦C) with depth, suggesting that rope degradation correlates with depthdependent physicochemical conditions. The estimated annual release was estimated as 22,113.72 kg (19,577.03 kg PP, 2536.69 kg PE). While only 572.6 kg (2.6 %) of plastic release was found at the surface, the 0–10 m layer contained the majority, with 16,179.9 kg (73.2 %) of the total estimated release. These findings highlight aquaculture mooring systems as a significant, yet overlooked, source of plastic pollution, emphasizing the need for improved rope materials, maintenance practices, and regulatory measures to mitigate environmental impacts. Our results provide critical baseline data for future monitoring and policy development in marine aquaculture and environmental sustainability.