Initial beach litter survey in a conservation unit (Santa Isabel Biological Reserve, Sergipe) from northeast Brazil

Ana Alice Santos; Fernanda Silva de Melo Nobre; Fabianne Ribeiro; Jeamylle Nilin

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111015

Initial beach litter survey in a conservation unit (Santa Isabel Biological Reserve, Sergipe) from northeast Brazil

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Apr:153:111015. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111015. Epub 2020 Mar 9.

Authors

Ana Alice Santos¹, Fernanda Silva de Melo Nobre², Fabianne Ribeiro³, Jeamylle Nilin⁴

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, CEP 49.100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
² Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia e Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, CEP 49.100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
³ Departamento de Biologia e CESAM - Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
⁴ Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Campus Umuarama, rua Ceará s/n Bloco 2D, sala 28, CEP 38405-302 Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: jeamylle@gmail.com.

PMID: 32275561
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111015

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the presence and distribution of litter on four beaches in a conservation unit in northeast Brazil (Santa Isabel Biological Reserve; SIBR), and at the tourist beach of Pirambu (PB). Samplings occurred during low tide in March 2018 and May 2018. We observed that PB contained a higher number of litter items (March = 12.5 ± 1.2 items m^-1; May = 6.1 ± 2.1 items m^-1) when compared to SIBR beaches with a general average of 1.7 ± 0.8 items·m^-1 (March) and 2.1 ± 1.1 items·m^-1 (May). Plastics were the most quantified items (~ 80% in PB and ~ 90% in SIBR). SIBR beaches were considered moderately clean. Despite access restriction on the SIBR beaches, the considerable amount of litter found in those beaches (mainly near the villages) calls attention to the importance of waste management improvements in Sergipe cities.

Keywords: Marine pollution; Plastic; Protected area; Remote area.

MeSH terms

Bathing Beaches*
Brazil
Cities
Conservation of Natural Resources*
Environmental Monitoring
Plastics
Surveys and Questionnaires
Waste Products*

Substances

Plastics
Waste Products