Styrofoam Archives - One Earth - One Ocean e. V.

The effect of fine-scale sampling frequency on estimates of beach litter accumulation

guenther — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 17:41:25 +0000

Peter G. Ryan, Annerie Lamprecht, Debbie Swanepoel, Coleen L. Moloney,
The effect of fine-scale sampling frequency on estimates of beach litter
accumulation, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Available online 16 September
2014, ISSN 0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.08.036.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14005888)
Abstract: The effect of sampling frequency on estimates of the rate of
litter accumulation was determined for two South African sandy beaches.
After initial cleaning, all manufactured items >10 mm diameter were
collected in alternating bouts of daily or weekly cleanups. Daily
sampling collected 2.5 (range 2.1?3.4) times more litter items than
weekly samples and 1.7 (1.3?2.3) times more litter by mass. Low density
items such as foamed polystyrene showed a greater differential (4?5
times more items from daily sampling), presumably due to faster turnover
of lightweight litter items. Variation in weekly samples was not
consistently less than daily estimates, suggesting that less frequent
samples only partly integrate short-term fluctuations in litter
dynamics. Researchers using beach accumulation data to infer trends in
nearshore marine litter, or to assess the efficacy of litter mitigation
measures, need to ensure consistency in sampling frequency.
Keywords: Stranded debris; Plastics; Sample rate; Accumulation;
Meta-analyses; South Africa

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Floating debris in the Mediterranean Sea

guenther — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 19:44:34 +0000

Giuseppe Suaria, Stefano Aliani, Floating debris in the Mediterranean
Sea, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 86, Issues 1?2, 15 September
2014, Pages 494-504, ISSN 0025-326X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.025.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14004056)
Abstract: Results from the first large-scale survey of floating natural
(NMD) and anthropogenic (AMD) debris (>2 cm) in the central and western
part of the Mediterranean Sea are reported. Floating debris was found
throughout the entire study area with densities ranging from 0 to 194.6
items/km2 and mean abundances of 24.9 AMD items/km2 and 6.9 NMD
items/km2 across all surveyed locations. On the whole, 78% of all
sighted objects were of anthropogenic origin, 95.6% of which were
petrochemical derivatives (i.e. plastic and styrofoam). Maximum AMD
densities (>52 items/km2) were found in the Adriatic Sea and in the
Algerian basin, while the lowest densities (<6.3 items/km2) were
observed in the Central Tyrrhenian and in the Sicilian Sea. All the
other areas had mean densities ranging from 10.9 to 30.7 items/km2.
According to our calculations, more than 62 million macro-litter items
are currently floating on the surface of the whole Mediterranean basin.
Keywords: Marine litter; Floating debris; Mediterranean; Plastic pollution

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Sources of plastic marine debris on beaches of Korea: More from the ocean than the land

guenther — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 20:43:06 +0000

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12601-014-0015-8

Yong Chang Jang, Jongmyoung Lee, Sunwook Hong, Jong Su Lee, Won Joon
Shim, Young Kyoung Song
Sources of plastic marine debris on beaches of Korea: More from the
ocean than the land
Ocean Science Journal
June 2014, Volume 49, Issue 2, pp 151-162

Abstract
Reduction of marine debris requires knowledge of its sources. Sources of
plastic marine debris found on six beaches of Korea were estimated.
Samples larger than 25 mm were collected from 10 quadrats of 5 × 5 m for
each beach in spring 2013. The total 752 items (12,255 g) of debris
comprised fiber and fabric (415 items, 6,909 g), hard plastic (120
items, 4,316 g), styrofoam (93 items, 306 g), film (83 items, 464 g),
foamed plastic other than styrofoam (21 items, 56 g), and other polymer
(20 items, 204 g). With the probable sources allocated to each of 55
debris types, the source of 56% of all the collected debris appeared to
be oceanbased and 44% was land-based. Priorities of policy measures to
reduce marine debris should be different from regions to regions as the
main sources of debris may differ.

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Quantities, composition, and sources of beach debris in Korea from the results of nationwide monitoring,

guenther — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 19:40:32 +0000

Sunwook Hong, Jongmyoung Lee, Daeseok Kang, Hyun-Woo Choi, Sun-Hwa Ko,
Quantities, composition, and sources of beach debris in Korea from the
results of nationwide monitoring, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 84,
Issues 1?2, 15 July 2014, Pages 27-34, ISSN 0025-326X,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.05.051.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14003427)
Abstract: This study assessed the levels of marine debris pollution and
identified its main sources in Korea. The surveys were bimonthly
conducted by NGO leaders and volunteers on 20 beaches from March 2008 to
November 2009. The quantities of marine debris were estimated at 480.9
(±267.7) count ? 100 m?1 for number, 86.5 (±78.6) kg ? 100 m?1 for
weight, and 0.48 (±0.38) m3 ? 100 m?1 for volume. The level of marine
debris pollution on the Korean beaches was comparable to that in the
coastal areas of the North Atlantic ocean and South Africa. Plastics and
styrofoam occupied the majority of debris composition in terms of number
(66.7%) and volume (62.3%). The main sources of debris were fishing
activities including commercial fisheries and marine aquaculture
(51.3%). Especially styrofoam buoy from aquaculture was the biggest
contributor to marine debris pollution on these beaches.
Keywords: Marine debris; Beach monitoring; Quantity; Composition;
Source; Korea

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Prevalence and composition of marine debris in Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)

guenther — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 15:58:27 +0000

Jennifer L. Lavers, Jarrod C. Hodgson, Rohan H. Clarke, Prevalence and 
composition of marine debris in Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) nests at 
Ashmore Reef, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 77, Issues 1–2, 15 
December 2013, Pages 320-324, ISSN 0025-326X, 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.09.026.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X13005778)
Abstract: Anthropogenic debris is ubiquitous in the marine environment 
and has been reported to negatively impact hundreds of species globally. 
Seabirds are particularly at risk from entanglement in debris due to 
their habit of collecting food and, in many cases, nesting material off 
the ocean’s surface. We compared the prevalence and composition of 
debris in nests and along the beach at two Brown Booby (Sula 
leucogaster) colonies on Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, a remote area known to 
contain high densities of debris transported by ocean currents. The 
proportion of nests with debris varied across islands (range 3–31%), 
likely in response to the availability of natural nesting materials. 
Boobies exhibited a preference for debris colour (white and black), but 
not type. The ephemeral nature of Brown Booby nests on Ashmore Reef may 
limit their utility as indicators of marine pollution, however 
monitoring is recommended in light of increasing demand for plastic 
products.

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Relationships among the abundances of plastic debris in different size classes on beaches in South Korea

guenther — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 13:31:00 +0000

Jongmyoung Lee, Sunwook Hong, Young Kyung Song, Sang Hee Hong, Yong 
Chang Jang, Mi Jang, Nak Won Heo, Gi Myung Han, Mi Jeong Lee, Daeseok 
Kang, Won Joon Shim, Relationships among the abundances of plastic 
debris in different size classes on beaches in South Korea, Marine 
Pollution Bulletin, Volume 77, Issues 1–2, 15 December 2013, Pages 
349-354, ISSN 0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.08.013.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X13004657)
Abstract: Plastic debris on six beaches near the Nakdong River Estuary, 
South Korea, was sampled in May and September 2012 and classified into 
three size classes, large microplastics (1–5 mm), mesoplastics (5–25 
mm), and macroplastics (>25 mm). The relationships among the abundances 
of the size classes were then examined. The abundances of each size 
category in May (before rainy season) and in September (after rainy 
season) were 8205 and 27,606 particles/m2 for large microplastics, 238 
and 237 particles/m2 for mesoplastics, and 0.97 and 1.03 particles/m2 
for macroplastics, respectively. Styrofoam was the most abundant item 
both in microplastic and mesoplastic debris, while intact plastics were 
most common in macroplastic debris. The abundances of meso- and 
micro-plastics were the most strongly correlated. There was a higher 
correlation between the abundances of macro- and meso-plastics than 
between macro- and micro-plastics.
Keywords: Marine debris; Microplastics; Mesoplastics; Macroplastics; 
Styrofoam

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