Plastic pollution in paradise: Daily accumulation rates of marine litter on Cousine Island, Seychelles

Dunlop, S.W.; Dunlop, B.J.; Brown, M.

Plastic pollution in paradise: Daily accumulation rates of marine litter on Cousine Island, Seychelles

2020

Dunlop, S.W. | Dunlop, B.J. | Brown, M.

The daily accumulation rates, composition, sizes and potential sources of marine litter collected on a remote island within the Western Indian Ocean were investigated. In total, 9119 items of marine litter were collected during 40 surveys, which equated to 0.0082 items·m⁻¹·d⁻¹. Between 2003 and 2019 there was a significant increase in the amount of litter deposited, with the highest daily accumulation rate recorded in 2019 (0.0255 items·m⁻¹·year⁻¹). All specific litter types increased over time and also differed significantly in their accumulation rates, with polystyrene fragments/pieces (0.00249 items·m⁻¹·d⁻¹), plastic items (0.00135 items·m⁻¹·d⁻¹) and plastic bottles (0.0011 items·m⁻¹·d⁻¹) being the most commonly encountered during this study. The majority of the litter found was ≤5 cm in size. Nearly all (>80%) litter collected was made of or contained some form of plastic. Recommendations for improved management of litter and the importance of establishing regular beach clean-ups within the Seychelles are briefly discussed.

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