Baseline marine litter abundance and distribution on Saint Martin Island, Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Baseline marine litter abundance and distribution on Saint Martin Island, Bay of Bengal, were assessed. Seventy-two transects (100-150 m) along 12 km of coastline were surveyed for litter items every two weeks for two months. The most abundant items were polythene bags, food wrappers, plastic bottles/caps, straws, styrofoam, plastic cups, plastic fragments, fishing nets, clothes, and rubber buoys. Tourism, local markets, hotels, domestic waste, and fishing activities were primary sources of marine litter. According to the mean clean coast index (CCI), all transects were clean, of which 11.3 % and 14.1 % of sandy beaches and rocky shores with sandy beaches were reported dirty, respectively. Northern Saint Martin Island comprised sandy beaches (2.8 %) and was extremely dirty. In addition, plastic abundance index (PAI) analysis showed that 24 % of sites, out of 72 sites, were under very high abundance, 33 % were high abundance, 33 % showed moderate abundance, and 4 % were classified as low abundance. Establishing baseline results of marine litter abundance and distribution on Saint Martin Island may help improve island conservation and mitigation strategies (e.g., improved waste management, beach cleaning activities to raise public awareness, local government litter reduction policies, and increase local pro-environmental behavioral change).

Automated summary

The baseline abundance and distribution of marine litter were assessed on Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal. The most common items found were plastic bags, food wrappers, plastic bottles, straws, styrofoam, and fishing nets. Tourism, local markets, hotels, domestic waste, and fishing activities were identified as the primary sources of marine litter. The establishment of baseline results can help improve conservation and mitigation strategies on the island.