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Environment
and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Coastal region and small island papers 19
7
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Plastic and other debris on the
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◄ Bobbins of thread
washed up from a container |
Background
Beach debris includes garbage left behind by
beach users, as well as materials – both natural and man-made – washed
onto the beach by the waves or transported by rivers. Such materials may
include tree trunks or branches; seaweed and
seagrass;
tarballs, which
are large or small pieces of
tar (solidified oil)
and are usually soft to touch; pieces of boat; plastic oil containers
etc. The presence of litter such as plastic bottles, snack wrappers and
sewage-related debris on beaches and in the water is unattractive, has
health and economic impacts on beach users and local communities, and is
potentially harmful to marine wildlife through entanglement and
ingestion.
Measuring beach debris
What and how to measure
Select a point behind the beach and mark off a straight line across the
beach towards the sea; this is called a
transect line. Collect all the debris
found 5 yds (5 m) on each side of this line. Sort the debris into different
groups using the categories listed in Figure 14. This figure shows the Beach
cleanup data card used by the Ocean Conservancy in their International Beach
Clean-ups. Record, count and measure all the debris found within 5 yds (5 m) of
the transect line. If you do not have a set of weighing scales available, then
count the number of items.
Figure 14
Beach cleanup data card (front and back).
Source: Ocean Conservancy
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/debris/floatingdebris/append-d2.pdf
(See also Annex 3, to reproduce for classroom purposes.)
You may also wish to add tarballs to the list of items since these are often numerous on exposed ocean beaches. Tarballs can be recorded in the same way as other debris items, and if these are of particular interest, or they represent a special problem at the beach, they can be counted and the diameter along the longest axis measured.
Record the location of the transect so as to be able to return to the same point at a future date. Several transects may be set up on one beach.
It is important to take adequate safety precautions when conducting marine debris surveys. Gloves should be used, and students should be cautioned not to touch anything they may be suspicious about, e.g. any container marked with poison, or syringes.
Once the debris has been recorded,
be sure to dispose of it in a proper garbage receptacle.
When to measure
What will the
measurements show
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Patches of oil
on the beach at |
The measurements will show first of all the total amounts and different types of debris at a particular beach, and if repeated at different times of the year, they will show variations over time.
Discuss the possible origins of the materials collected. Divide the materials into three groups:
- group 1: debris that came from the sea, e.g. fishing floats, plastics with labels showing they were made in a different country;
- group 2: debris that came from careless beach users or nearby communities, e.g. cigarette filters, styrofoam containers;
- group 3: debris that might have come from either group 1 or 2, e.g. pieces of rope and timber, packing material.
Discuss which group is largest and why.
If you measure debris at different times of the year you might be able to relate the amounts of various categories of debris to weather events. Again it might be possible to relate the amount of debris and the various categories of debris to wave and weather conditions (see Chapter 9). For instance, tarballs might only appear at certain times of the year. Figure 15 shows a sample graph of some debris surveys conducted at different times of the year and the graph shows large increases in the volume of debris after a hurricane passed over the island in September.
Figure 15
Bar graph showing beach debris changes.
You can also discuss how to inform
beach users and the rest of the community about the negative impacts of
littering and to encourage them to keep the beaches clean.
Chapter 12
describes some actions taken by a primary school in Dominica after
undertaking a debris survey.
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Debris piled
up at the back of the beach at Morne Rouge, Grenada, 1999. |
Beach cleanups can be done at any time of the year. You might also want to consider taking part in the International Beach Cleanup organized by the Ocean Conservancy (formerly the Center for Marine Conservation). They organize beach cleanups in many parts of the world in September each year. The activity focuses on educating and empowering people to become a part of the marine debris solution and consists of data collection (see the data cards referred to in Figure 14) as well as cleaning the beach.
Some points you might want to keep in mind when doing a clean-up activity are the following:
- Take photos of the beach before and after the cleanup.
- Combine data collection with the cleanup – see activity 7.1.
- Try and involve students, their parents and nearby communities in the cleanup.
- Encourage everyone to wear gloves and not to touch any potentially dangerous items.
- Provide food and drink.
- Take into account the temperature at the beach; it may be best to conduct a cleanup early in the day when it is cooler.
- Ensure there are sufficient garbage bags.
- Make arrangements in advance for the garbage and debris to be removed to a proper waste disposal site.
- Inform the press to get maximum publicity.
- Make the activity fun.
