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Characteristics of Beach Debris in Labuhan Haji District, East Lombok Regency, Indonesia
Summary
Researchers found that beaches in East Lombok, Indonesia are littered mostly with plastic waste, coming from sources like nearby farms, rivers, trash dumps, and tourist activity. This matters because plastic debris on beaches breaks down into microplastics over time, which can end up in seafood and drinking water, making its way into our bodies and raising concerns about long-term health effects that scientists are still studying.
Beach debris was defined as marine debris found in coastal areas within the zone between high and low tide (intertidal zone). This study aimed to determine the characteristics of beach debris in Labuhan Haji District, East Lombok Regency. The study was conducted using a purposive sampling method. A 100 m transect line was established parallel to the coastline, with sampling stations placed at 20 m intervals. Each transect consisted of a 5 × 5 m plot, which was subdivided into 25 sub-transects. The main parameters observed included debris weight (total debris weight), debris composition (weight per type), and debris density (number of items per type). The results showed that macro-debris was more dominant than meso-debris, with plastic being the most commonly found type, followed by rubber, wood, plastic foam, metal, and glass. Based on total weight, Ijo Balit Beach recorded the highest waste accumulation at 359.60 g/m². This was influenced by its proximity to coconut plantation activities, river estuaries, and temporary disposal sites (TPS), which contributed to substantial waste input from both domestic sources and ocean currents. Suryawangi Beach ranked second, with a total debris weight of 252.80 g/m², predominantly originating from tourist and coastal community activities, as well as river-borne debris. Meanwhile, Labuhan Haji Beach, although it had the lowest total debris weight (76.60 g/m²), recorded the highest debris density at 123.50 items/m². This was dominated by plastic debris, which was likely generated from the activities of fishermen, tourists, and local traders.