Archives: Fotografias

A track of trash was pushed onto Vila Nova de Gaia beaches by the storm Helena

The storm Helena, felt in Portugal on 1st February 2019, produced heavy winds up to 110 kilometres an hour and provoked the agitation of the sea.
The effects of the storm were visible on the littoral coast, with the destruction of the gangways
and piles of marine litter on the beach. The city of Vila Nova de Gaia, wasn’t an exception, as we can see in the pictures of Madalena beach.

In all that litter, there is one item more common than any other: plasticus maritimus, an “invasive specie”, as Ana Pêgo refers to.
According to The National Geographic, it is estimated that about 8 million tons of plastic is washed down by the rivers and ends up in the ocean.
Plastic can take centuries to decompose, and it is responsible for the death of million marine species. Every year, nearly 700 species can be affected by it.