Temperature and salinity vertical profiles (CTD) data in the Ría de Vigo and adjacent shelf collected in the Radiales program, 1987-2020.

The Galician rías and their adjacent continental shelf form part of the northern boundary of the Canary Current upwelling system (CanCUS), one of the world's major eastern boundary upwelling ecosystems (EBUEs). During summer, prevailing northerly winds export surface water offshore, allowing deeper, cooler, nutrient-rich water to rise, creating a fertilizing effect on coastal waters that support valuable fisheries and aquaculture economy. This data article describes a time series of hydrographic data collected on a biweekly to monthly frequency from August 1987 to September 2020 in the interior of the Ría de Vigo (one of the aforementioned Galician rías) and its adjacent shelf.

A nationwide monitoring of atmospheric microplastic deposition.

Plastic production continues to increase every year, yet it is widely acknowledged that a significant portion of this material ends up in ecosystems as microplastics (MPs). Among all the environmental compartments affected by MPs, the atmosphere remains the least well-known. Here, we conducted a one-year simultaneous monitoring of atmospheric MPs deposition in ten urban areas, each with different population sizes, economic activities, and climates.

Top 10 marine litter items on the seafloor in European seas from 2012 to 2020.

We studied the ten most frequently encountered litter items from the seafloor in European seas to advance actions and inform future mitigation measures to reduce marine litter and the associated social, economic and environmental impacts it has on European seas and beyond. Data were collected during trawl surveys from 2012 to 2020 as part of national and regional marine litter monitoring programmes in the Greater North Sea (5652 trawls), Celtic Seas (3505), Bay of Biscay (651), and Baltic Sea (3688). A Bayesian approach is used to quantify the variation in the item rankings.

Temperature and salinity trends in the northern limit of the Canary Current Upwelling System.

Thermohaline time series are crucial for detecting and quantifying abiotic changes in the marine environment, and even more so in the present global change scenario. This is particularly relevant for the Ría the Vigo and its adjacent shelf, a highly productive ecosystem at the northern limit of the Canary Current Upwelling System (CanCUS). This study analyses a 34-year time series (1987-2020) of Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) casts, the longest series available to date in the region.

Occurrence and size distribution study of microplastics in household water from different cities in continental Spain and the Canary Islands.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in drinking water in Spain by comparing tap water from different locations using common sampling and identification procedures. We sampled tap water from 24 points in 8 different locations from continental Spain and the Canary Islands by means of 25 μm opening size steel filters coupled to household connections. All particles were measured and spectroscopically characterized including not only MPs but also particles consisting of natural materials with evidence of industrial processing, such as dyed natural fibres, referred insofar as artificial particles (APs).

PAHs and trace metals in marine surficial sediments from the Porcupine Bank (NE Atlantic): A contribution to establishing background concentrations.

Little is known about pollutant concentrations in marine remote areas such as the Porcupine Bank in the NE Atlantic Ocean. Remote locations are much less studied than the more readily accessible coastal areas, nevertheless, are of great importance both to unveil how far human influence has reached and, are more challenging, to infer background concentrations (BCs) of naturally occurring and/or anthropogenic pollutants. Knowledge of contaminant background levels are critical for establishing remediation and management strategies; in addition, background assessment is heavily emphasised in legislative monitoring requirements.

Microplastic occurrence in deep-sea fish species Alepocephalus bairdii and Coryphaenoides rupestris from the Porcupine Bank (North Atlantic).

Microplastic occurrence in marine biota has been reported in a wide range of animals, from marine mammals and seabirds to invertebrates. Commercial and shallow-water fish have been the subject of numerous works on microplastic ingestion, given their importance in human diet and accessibility. However, little is known about microlitter occurrence in fish species inhabiting the dark ocean, in the bathyal zone and there is a high degree of uncertainty about microplastic distribution in offshore areas and the deep sea.

The role of cigarette butts as vectors of metals in the marine environment: Could it cause bioaccumulation in oysters?

Tobacco is a well-documented threat to human health. However, its environmental impact has only recently been considered. Metals can interact with cigarette butts (CBs) being transported in the marine environment and reaching organisms.

The seasonal cycle of micro and meso-plastics in surface waters in a coastal environment (Ría de Vigo, NW Spain).

Marine litter is an emerging environmental problem. In this study, micro and mesoplastics were determined for the first time in seawater in Ría de Vigo (Spain) identifying their concentration, annual cycle, size, shape and polymer composition. Besides, temporal variations at an annual scale were also established.

Micro and Nano-Plastics in the Environment: Research Priorities for the Near Future.

Plastic litter dispersed in the different environmental compartments represents one of the most concerning problems associated with human activities. Specifically, plastic particles in the micro and nano size scale are ubiquitous and represent a threat to human health and the environment. In the last few decades, a huge amount of research has been devoted to evaluate several aspects of micro/nano-plastic contamination: origin and emissions, presence in different compartments, environmental fate, effects on human health and the environment, transfer in the food web and the role of associated chemicals and microorganisms.

Phthalates, organotin compounds and per-polyfluoroalkyl substances in semiconfined areas of the Spanish coast: Occurrence, sources and risk assessment.

In this work two sensitive areas of the Spanish coast located in the Atlantic (Ria de Vigo) and Mediterranean (Mar Menor lagoon) have been studied regarding their contamination by phthalates, organotin compounds and per-polyfluoroalkyl substances (seawater and sediments) in two different campaigns (spring and autumn in 2015). PFAS and OTCs were detected in seawater and sediments at low concentrations (few ng L or ng g), whereas PAEs were detected at levels two orders of magnitude higher, particularly in Mar Menor lagoon due to its semi-confined characteristics. However, PAEs and OTCs concentration in sediments were higher in Ría de Vigo than in Mar Menor lagoon as a consequence of the influence of the important urban nuclei and port in that area.

Modelling the distribution of microplastics released by wastewater treatment plants in Ria de Vigo (NW Iberian Peninsula).

The accumulation of plastic waste in estuaries is growing due to the increase in their use in daily life and their inadequate treatment on wastewater plants (WWTPs). Hydrodynamic and particle-tracking models were validated and used to improve the knowledge about the distribution and concentration of microplastics released by WWTPs in the Ria de Vigo. Results showed that the Vigo WWTP is the main driver of microplastics to the Ria de Vigo.

Plackett Burman design for microplastics quantification in marine sediments.

Microplastics are gaining worldwide attention due to their omnipresence. The marine environment is one of the most affected systems; especially the sediment compartment. Microplastic separation from the sediment matrix is the first step to evaluate its abundance and availability.

From the coast to the shelf: Microplastics in Rías Baixas and Miño River shelf sediments (NW Spain).

Microplastics (<5 mm; MPs) are globally recognized as an issue of emerging concern in the marine environment. In this study, MPs were determined for the first time in sediments from Rías Baixas and Miño river shelf, to show the baseline contamination levels. The Rías is well known for its intense fishing and shellfish harvesting activities.

Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf.

We evaluated the incidence of microplastics in the digestive tract contents of four fish species: Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, Callionymus lyra and Mullus surmuletus. Alkaline digestion (10% KOH) was used to degrade the organic matter. The percentage of fish with microplastics was 78% (88% fibres, 12% fragments).

Microplastics in the Bay of Biscay: An overview.

Microplastics (MPs) are an environmental problem of growing concern, and several studies have defined the Bay of Biscay (BoB) as a marine litter accumulation area. To address the abundance of MPs in this region, a critical overview is presented compiling the research performed to date on the different water bodies, sediments and biota. The comparative assessment highlights high spatial and temporal variability in MP distribution.

Fibers spreading worldwide: Microplastics and other anthropogenic litter in an Arctic freshwater lake.

We investigated the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic litter in the sediments adhered to rocks of an Arctic freshwater lake at Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard Archipelago, 78°N; 11°E). Most of the sampled microparticles were fibers (>90%). The identification of polymer types and additives was performed by combining three spectroscopic techniques, namely Raman Microscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared microspectroscopy (μFTIR) and Synchrotron Radiation μFTIR (SR-FTIR).

Uptake of Inorganic and Organic Nitrogen Sources by and .

Dinoflagellate species of are obligate mixotrophs that require light, nutrients, and prey for sustained growth. Information about their nitrogenous nutrient preferences and their uptake kinetics are scarce. This study aimed to determine the preferred nitrogen sources in cultures of and strains from the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Spain) and to compare their uptake kinetics.

Plastic debris accumulation in the seabed derived from coastal fish farming.

In this study, we assessed plastic accumulation in marine sediments due to finfish aquaculture using floating net-pens. We studied plastic concentrations around three fish farms located at the Mediterranean coastline of Spain. The macroplastic categories and abundances were determined by video monitoring, detecting the majority of elements (78%), including ropes, nets and fibres, a basket trap and a cable tie, close to the facilities, which were not exclusively linked to fish farming but also to fishing activities.

MODELPlastics workshop - Modelling Ocean Plastic Litter in a Changing Climate: Gaps and future directions.

Here we summarize the overarching issues that emerged from a workshop held to discuss scientific challenges and future directions on the use of numerical models to predict the amount, distribution and effects of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems. The need for multi-disciplinary approaches, standardized protocols for plastic quantification and analyses, using realistic contaminant concentrations in laboratorial experiments and targeting early-life stages of marine organisms were pointed out as needs to improve data accuracy. Participants also enumerated a list of gaps that include, identification of indicator organisms of plastic contamination, selection of biomarkers and the role of extreme events on plastic dynamics.

Microplastic distribution in surface sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf.

Microplastics (MPs) are widely recognised as a contaminant of emerging concern in the marine environment. This work provides original data of the presence of MPs in coastal sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf. Ten surface sediment samples were collected in order to document baseline microplastic distribution from Algeciras to Barcelona.

Microplastics in the stomach contents of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) stranded on the Galician coasts (NW Spain, 2005-2010).

Plastic debris is currently recognised as one of the major global threats to marine life. However, few data exist on the presence and abundance of microplastics (plastics < 5 mm in size) in marine mammals. This is the first record of the presence of microplastics in the digestive tracts of marine mammals from the Iberian Peninsula.

First observation on neustonic plastics in waters off NW Spain (spring 2013 and 2014).

This paper examines the presence and distribution of plastic particles in waters off the NW Spanish Atlantic coast. A pilot sampling program was initiated in 2013 to study the presence of plastic particles in surface waters. A total of 41 neuston samples were collected using a manta trawl fitted with a 333 μm mesh (21 samples in 2013 and 20 samples in 2014).

Chemometric tools to evaluate the spatial distribution of trace metals in surface sediments of two Spanish rías.

A suite of relevant trace metals (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni) was measured in surface sediment samples to assess the environmental situation of the largest two Atlantic Spanish 'rías' (a form of estuaries, ría of Pontevedra, ROP, and ría of Vigo, ROV). The level of contamination originated by these metals was assessed against international guidelines, the threshold effect, ERL, and the midrange effect, ERM. Six unsupervised and supervised multivariate chemometric techniques were applied to model each ría, compare them and select those metals that characterize the samples.