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Temporal variability of plastic litter in two sand beaches of San Andres Island, Colombian Caribbean
Summary
Beach surveys on San Andres Island in the Colombian Caribbean over three seasons found that microplastic fragments dominated plastic litter across both beaches, with the highest totals occurring during the dry season. The seasonal and spatial patterns suggest that ocean currents and tourism activity both contribute to contamination, and the findings highlight ongoing plastic pollution pressures on a biodiverse Caribbean island ecosystem.
The majority of marine plastic waste is anthropogenic. Recently, several reports have documented negative impacts on tourist beaches in the Caribbean, especially on the fauna associated with marine coastal ecosystems. This study analyzes the characteristics and seasonal variation of plastic waste considering the most common sizes on two beaches (Spratt Bight and Los Charquitos) of San Andres Island in 2021. Nine hundred twenty-six plastic items were collected from three perpendicular transects established in three beach strips. The largest number of plastic debris (416 items) was found in the dry season (March), followed by the transition (August, 280 items) and rainy season (November, 230 items). Regarding relative abundance, microplastics are the most predominant size class, while fragments are the most common form of plastic debris on San Andres Island beaches.