Diagnosis of marine waste at Praia de Navegantes/SC in periods of low and high flow of the Itajaí-Açu River

Abstract

Marine debris has contributed considerably to marine pollution and it is one of the global trends for the environmental issue. Marine litter causes impacts to biota, economic impacts, to fishing and to the aesthetics of beaches, which demonstrates the importance of further studying this theme and seeking alternatives to mitigate it. Thus, it is necessary to conduct studies that identify the composition, abundance and behavior of such debris in the face of meteorological variables, in order to contribute to preventive and mitigating actions to be more effective. The present study tested hypotheses regarding the composition and probable origin of marine litter on the beach of Navegantes/SC (Brazil), in two flow regimes of the Itajaí-Açu river, as well as evaluating the abundance of plastic pellets. The vast majority of the macro litter was formed by plastic items, in a significantly larger quantity in the high flow regime. The most likely origin of the observed items was from beach users, which was also significantly higher in the high flow regime. Large amounts of plastic pellets (> 20 pellets/m2) were found on the beach, with no distinction between flow regimes. These results may help local environmental agencies to define better strategies and actions for the prevention and mitigation of marine litter, such as the development of a didactic collection of marine litter as an environmental education tool.