Marine litter on the beaches of Lesvos Island (Greece) after the refugee crisis: sources, density and composition

Abstract

The war in Syria led to a massive flow of refugees from the Turkish coast to Lesvos Island (Greece). The irregular immigration to Lesvos on inflatable boats and other vessels that were subsequently abandoned along the coast has led to a devastating marine litter problem, with serious ecological and economic implications. Vessels, life-jackets, inflatable tubes, outboard engines, clothing and other items constitute the composition of the marine litter. After extensive beach clean-ups conducted in 2015 and 2016, this study aimed to investigate the remaining quantities of litter and specifically the overall contribution of immigration. Twenty-four sites along the entire coastline of the island were surveyed, both in beaches affected and unaffected by the influx of refugees. Substantially higher litter densities (both in terms of numbers and mass) were estimated for the migrant disembarkation sites than for those where migrants did not land. Furthermore, the composition of litter differed between affected and unaffected sites. The average density of litter in affected sites averaged 6.03 kg per m length of beach and reached 86.02 kg per m in one site, while in non-affected sites the average density was one order of magnitude lower.