Identification of Marine Debris and Its Distribution Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) on the Cirebon Coastal Area, Indonesia

Abstract

Marine debris can be a significant problem when it enters the ocean. One of the areas, which has a marine debris problem is Cirebon Coast. Such a problem occurs due to the high human population and activities in this particular coastal area. An effective cleaning method is required to prevent this problem. However, to determine the cleaning method, comprehensive information about the debris condition is required. Therefore, this study aims to identify the dominant types of marine debris and analyze the effect of tides on the characteristics and distribution of debris on the Cirebon Coast. This study carried out marine debris identification by orthophoto obtained from a DJI Phantom 4 Pro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)/drone. The dominant types of marine debris on the Cirebon Coast are plastic and styrofoam. Based on the aerial imagery validation results, plastic and styrofoam larger than Ground Sample Distance (GSD) are easily detected. Visually, debris in Karang Anom more than in Rawa Urip. The change in tidal height can affect debris not visible on the orthophoto at the maximum water level. In addition, the tides can also move marine debris varying from 10 to 50 cm from its previous position. The debris area at Rawa Urip Beach when slack before flood tide (55.53 m2) is larger than the area when slack before ebb tide (52.71 m2). The debris area at Karang Anom Beach at low tide (129.89 m2) is larger than when slack before ebb tide (75.79 m2). This study revelaed that the factors affecting debris area on the Cirebon Coast comprise tidal height, seawater visibility, and the beach structure (slope and coast components).