Increase of litter at the Arctic deep-sea observatory HAUSGARTEN

► Litter on the deep Arctic seafloor over time was quantified by image analysis. ► Litter density increased from 3635 to 7710 items km−2 between 2002 and 2011. ► The majority of litter recorded was plastic. ► Sixty-seven percent of the litter items was entangled or colonised by benthic invertebrates.