AUTHOR=Yona Defri , Nooraini Pratiwi , Putri Sisylia Eka Narriyah , Sari Syarifah Hikmah Julinda , Lestariadi Riski Agung , Amirudin Akhmad 

TITLE=Spatial distribution and composition of marine litter on sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean coastline in the south Java region, Indonesia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1220650

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2023.1220650

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Marine litter in the coastal areas could bring economic, social, and environmental damage, especially loss of aesthetic value of a tourist site. Therefore, research on the composition of marine litter to identify its sources is important for planning strategic action to minimize the problem. This study analyzes beach litter composition on five beaches (Kondangmerak, Balekambang, Ungapan, Ngudel and Goa Cina) along the Indian Ocean coastline in the eastern part of the south Java region, Indonesia. All beaches are known as the famous touristic beaches of Malang City, with many visitors, especially during the holiday season. Beach litter composition was obtained by collecting different types of litter in a 5 x 5 m square transect. Five square transects were placed along the beach strandline at each beach, and intervals of 20 m separated each transect. In each transect, the litter was collected and counted based on its category (plastic, paper, rubber, fabric, processed wood, metal, glass, ceramic and hazardous items) and size (0.5-2.5; 2.5-5; 5-10 and > 10 cm). According to the size, there was a statistically significant difference in the number of litters among the size (p < 0.05). However, the distribution of beach litter according to its size were similar among the beaches. In general, beach litter with a size > 10 cm was found the least in all beaches (< 15 %), while the other three size categories were found in almost similar numbers (in the range of 20 to 50 %). Plastic was the dominating type of litter on all beaches. Based on Clean Coastal Index, all beaches were considered dirty to extremely dirty. All litter on the beaches was the product of tourism activities, and littering habits play a significant role as the source of marine litter in the study areas. Since this is the first study on the marine litter composition in the eastern part of south Java, the result of this study can be used as a baseline for future studies to prevent marine debris pollution and to develop management strategies in reducing the impact of marine debris on the environment.