The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has warned that marine litter now represents the most significant threat to the Northeast Atlantic Ocean ecosystem.
In its latest Ecosystem Overview, ICES highlights that plastics and other waste account for nearly 60% of the total ecological risk in one of the world’s most remote ocean areas.
Human Impact Still Visible at Sea
While few human activities take place beyond national waters, ICES notes that litter from ships, fishing, and land-based sources travels long distances through ocean currents.
Discarded fishing gear, lost containers, and plastic waste pose widespread risks to fish, seabirds, and marine mammals through entanglement, ingestion, and chemical contamination. Microplastics have been found in both deep-sea invertebrates and mesopelagic fish.
Warming Seas and Uncertain Fish Stocks
The report also records a sharp rise in ocean temperatures. A major marine heatwave in the summer of 2023 contributed to record global temperatures, and such events are expected to become more frequent in the future.
Climate change is shifting plankton blooms and altering food webs. While productivity may increase in the northern part of the region, southern waters are likely to experience a decline in nutrients. ICES warns that many deep-sea fish stocks remain poorly understood, with their conservation status uncertain.
A Vital but Vulnerable Ocean Zone
The Northeast Atlantic Ocean provides key ecosystem services, including carbon storage, climate regulation, and fisheries resources. It also supports major shipping routes and undersea communication cables linking Europe and North America.
Yet, despite limited fishing activity and the expansion of marine protection areas, ICES stresses that the combined pressures of pollution, climate change, and incidental wildlife mortality necessitate stronger international cooperation.