Plastic debris retention and exportation by a mangrove forest patch

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2014-01, Vol.78 (1-2), p.252-257
• Main Authors: Ivar do Sul, Juliana A., Costa, Monica F., Silva-Cavalcanti, Jacqueline S., Araújo, Maria Christina B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Coastal ecosystems; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Debris; Density; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental conservation; Environmental Monitoring; Fishers communities; Forestry; Forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; Habitats; International trade; Mangrove forests; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Marine debris; Plastics - analysis; Rhizophora mangle; Rhizophoraceae; Seasons; Synecology; Tropical Climate; Vegetation; Waste Products - analysis; Waste Products - statistics & numerical data; Water Pollutants - analysis; Water Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Wetlands
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.11.011

•Estuaries and mangrove forests are rarely studied for marine plastic debris loads.•Types of plastic items and mangrove forest habitats determine the potential of debris retention.•Mangrove habitats are temporary sinks of plastic debris from river and marine origins.•Plastics rapidly accumulate in mangrove forest, but are exported slowly.•Fauna and fishers using mangrove forest habitats are at risk of interaction with plastic debris. An experiment observed the behavior of selected tagged plastic items deliberately released in different habitats of a tropical mangrove forest in NE Brazil in late rainy (September) and late dry (March) seasons. Significant differences were not reported among seasons. However, marine debris retention varied among habitats, according to characteristics such as hydrodynamic (i.e., flow rates and volume transported) and relative vegetation (Rhizophora mangle) height and density. The highest grounds retained significantly more items when compared to the borders of the river and the tidal creek. Among the used tagged items, PET bottles were more observed and margarine tubs were less observed, being easily transported to adjacent habitats. Plastic bags were the items most retained near the releasing site. The balance between items retained and items lost was positive, demonstrating that mangrove forests tend to retain plastic marine debris for long periods (months-years).