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Understanding the sources of marine litter in remote islands: The Galapagos islands as a case study
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Researchers tracked plastic bottle litter on 60 remote beaches across the Galapagos Islands from 2018 to 2022 to determine where marine debris originates. The study found that 76% of beaches were badly polluted, with bottles traced to sources in Asia, South America, and Central America, demonstrating how ocean currents carry plastic waste thousands of miles to even the most isolated island ecosystems.
Determining the sources of marine litter is necessary to mitigate this increasing global problem. Plastic bottles are useful tracers of marine litter and constitute the main item (24%) stranding on remote beaches in the Galapagos Islands. The aim of this study was to estimate the abundance of plastic bottles in remote beaches and inferred their sources. To do so, we collected plastic bottles at 60 remote Galapagos Island beaches from 2018 to 2022. 76% of beaches were qualified as badly polluted, with >34 bottles·100 m-1. Most identified bottles came from Peru (71%), followed by China (17%) and Ecuador (9%). Although most locally-sold products are made in Ecuador, they contribute little to beach litter loads. Polyethylene terephthalate bottles with lid (necessary for litter dispersal) represented 88% of all bottles, demonstrating that most of the litter reaching the Galapagos comes from distant sources, mainly from South America. However, bottle ages indicate that at least 10% of Peruvian, 26% of Ecuadorian, and all Chinese bottles likely were dumped from ships. Reducing marine litter reaching the Galapagos Islands requires tackling litter leakage from land-based sources in South America and better compliance with regulations banning the dumping of plastics and other persistent wastes from ships.
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Darwin's paradise contaminated by marine debris. Understanding their sources and accumulation dynamics.☆
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.