DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE DEBRIS ON THE COASTS OF WRANGEL ISLAND

Abstract

Wrangel Island is a unique protected area, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, with low resilience to anthropogenic impact. The accumulation of marine litter on the Arctic coast of the island poses a serious threat to marine mammals, birds, and the formation of coastal landscapes, but data on the extent of pollution in the region remain fragmented. In 2022 and 2025, studies of marine debris accumulation on the island’s coastline were conducted. It was found that in 2022, the density of marine debris at 15 study sites varied from <0.001 items/m2 to 0.081 items/m2. The average density at the survey sites was 0.019 items/m2 ± 0.025. In 2022 and 2025, the predominant type of debris was processed wood (76 % and 60 %, respectively), and the second most common type of marine debris was metal (15 % and 40 %). Plastic items were discovered only in 2022, accounting for 7.8 % of the total marine debris detected. A significant number of metal barrels were found along the coast, indicating a high level of legacy environmental damage. The results demonstrate that the overall pollution density of the Wrangel Island coast is lower than in other Arctic regions. However, waste from the island’s historical development (scrap metal, barrels, and wood) remains in areas of the island’s former infrastructure. This circumstance justifies the need to develop targeted programs for scrap metal removal and shoreline remediation.