Is conscientious beachcombing the key to ‘unlock’ marine plastic pollution trends through citizen science? A case study from Cockburn Sound, Western Australia

Despite the global implementation of plastic waste reduction policies and bans on single use plastics (SuPs), their effectiveness for protecting marine ecosystems remains unclear. Frequent monitoring could confirm policy effectiveness, but this is difficult due to resourcing and logistic constraints...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2022-04, Vol.177, p.113519-113519, Article 113519
Main Authors: Davies, Linda, Kemp, Annabeth, O'Loughlin, Claire, Korczynskyj, Dylan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Balloons
Beach litter analysis
Beaches
Boating
Citizen science
Fishing
Government waste
Litter
Local government
Macroplastic
Marine ecosystems
Marine pollution
Mitigation
Monitoring
Plastic debris
Plastic pollution
Pollution monitoring
Waste reduction
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Summary:Despite the global implementation of plastic waste reduction policies and bans on single use plastics (SuPs), their effectiveness for protecting marine ecosystems remains unclear. Frequent monitoring could confirm policy effectiveness, but this is difficult due to resourcing and logistic constraints. This study tested a ‘beach litter’ beachcombing citizen science approach that could overcome some constraints. Between November 2018 and January 2021, 168 beach visits led to the collection of 12,659 pieces of litter from a beach in Western Australia. Litter was predominantly plastic (87%) and mostly associated with fishing/boating (34%). Significant reductions in six types of litter, including fishing/boating items, balloons, and straws were detected and four coincided with local government waste mitigation measures. We show potential to harness conscientious beachcombers as citizen scientists to help evaluate plastic policy impact. Furthermore, we propose how to harness this effort and increase spatial and temporal coverage of marine plastic pollution monitoring. [Display omitted] •Beachcombing for litter reveals plastic reduction trends in two-years.•Fisheries related litter, while the highest contributor, had the greatest reduction.•High collection frequency is important in monitoring beach litter concentrations.•On-site ‘bins’ could capture frequently collected litter for standardised analysis.•Detecting trends in plastic litter volumes is key to evaluate mitigation measures.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113519