Assessment of marine litter in the mangrove forest in the Ciénaga de Mallorquín, Colombian Caribbean region

Abstract

The Ciénaga de Mallorquín is a unique coastal lagoon close to Barranquilla City. It is the first study on this topic in the Ciénaga de Mallorquín that evaluated the state of pollution based on marine litter inside the mangrove forest in the Ciénaga de Mallorquín. A total of 860 items and 77.9 kg of litter were collected, equivalent to an average density of 23.89 items*m-2 and 2.16 kg*m-2. Plastic was the main litter item (43.55 %), followed by polystyrene, rubber, and processed wood, most of which comes from inland sources such as dumping and recreational and urban activities and is transported mainly by local streams. Of the litter collected, 87.3% was characterized as persistent buoyancy items. The mangrove forest is classified in a dirty state (Class IV), with a considerable number of hazardous items (Class III). The CM needs an urgent, integral, and proactive management plan to reduce litter at its sources, adopting and improving measures such as education and public awareness, good management practices, recycling, and reuse.