Marine Debris
Abstract
The ubiquitous nature of marine debris is a growing concern worldwide. Continued monitoring of established sites will only lead to a deeper understanding of the complex problem. Beach surveys have been performed at Charlesworth Bay since July 2011. With over 3 years of beach survey data we are able to examine the temporal importance in estimating daily accumulation rates. We continue to identify the types and sources of debris. With an expanding data set experts are able to better educate and influence communities and managers to help in reducing and mitigate marine debris pollution.
1. Introduction
Marine debris and plastic pollution specifically is an issue that is receiving global research attention. Vetger et al. (unpub) frames the issue with pertinent questions contributed by experts in the field for the future of research in this area. We know that plastics impact every marine and coastal habitat affecting marine life through ingestion and entanglement. Litter on beaches is not only unsightly but has serious economic costs associated with it (McIlgorm et al. 2011). There is growing concern for microplastics, which have been reported in almost every level of the food web (Vetger et al., unpub). Quantifying and managing the impacts of plastic pollution on marine life is a focus of current marine debris studies. Management is spurred on sound relatable science and research. Each objective of this report is nested within a question posed by Vetger et al. (unpub) and thus is timely and worth pursuing. Specifically the aims of this report are to utilize beach survey data collected at Charlesworth Bay to: (1) assess the debris according to material type, usage, and source (2) use recent data to consider the affects of temporal scale on estimating accumulation rates (3) test the hypothesis that the center of the beach is supporting a higher mean weight of debris (4) investigate solutions to the marine debris issue specific to the
The ubiquitous nature of marine debris is a growing concern worldwide. Continued monitoring of established sites will only lead to a deeper understanding of the complex problem. Beach surveys have been performed at Charlesworth Bay since July 2011. With over 3 years of beach survey data we are able to examine the temporal importance in estimating daily accumulation rates. We continue to identify the types and sources of debris. With an expanding data set experts are able to better educate and influence communities and managers to help in reducing and mitigate marine debris pollution.
1. Introduction
Marine debris and plastic pollution specifically is an issue that is receiving global research attention. Vetger et al. (unpub) frames the issue with pertinent questions contributed by experts in the field for the future of research in this area. We know that plastics impact every marine and coastal habitat affecting marine life through ingestion and entanglement. Litter on beaches is not only unsightly but has serious economic costs associated with it (McIlgorm et al. 2011). There is growing concern for microplastics, which have been reported in almost every level of the food web (Vetger et al., unpub). Quantifying and managing the impacts of plastic pollution on marine life is a focus of current marine debris studies. Management is spurred on sound relatable science and research. Each objective of this report is nested within a question posed by Vetger et al. (unpub) and thus is timely and worth pursuing. Specifically the aims of this report are to utilize beach survey data collected at Charlesworth Bay to: (1) assess the debris according to material type, usage, and source (2) use recent data to consider the affects of temporal scale on estimating accumulation rates (3) test the hypothesis that the center of the beach is supporting a higher mean weight of debris (4) investigate solutions to the marine debris issue specific to the
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