Spatial distribution of macro- and micro-litter items along rocky and sandy beaches of a Marine Protected Area in the western Mediterranean Sea

In this study, the spatial distribution and physical characteristics of beach macro-and micro-litter within the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park (Cabrera MPA), in the Balearic Islands have been analysed. For macro-litter items, a mean concentration of 1.9 +/- 2.4 items/m(2) weighing a total of 13 kg was quantified. In terms of beach composition, cobble beaches with deposited seagrass had almost twice as much marine litter as other beaches. For beach micro-litter items, white and transparent microplastics within the size class of 1-2 mm were the most abundant on all the beaches, and the most common polymer types were polyethylene (64%) and polypropylene (17.2%). Overall, for both macro-and micro-litter items, plastic was the most dominant material (90%) identified on all beaches surveyed within Cabrera MPA, indicating areas of low anthropogenic pressures are increasingly becoming sinks for marine litter.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the distribution and characteristics of macro- and micro-litter on the beaches of Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park. The majority of macro-litter items were plastic, while white and transparent microplastics in the size range of 1-2 mm were the most abundant. The composition of the beaches and anthropogenic pressures influenced the distribution of litter.