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Assessment of marine litter in the mangrove forest in the Ciénaga de Mallorquín, Colombian Caribbean region
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This paper is not directly about microplastics; it assesses macro marine litter (including plastic debris) in a Colombian mangrove lagoon, finding that plastics dominate the waste but focusing on litter at scales larger than the microplastic size range.
The Ciénaga de Mallorquín is a unique coastal lagoon close to Barranquilla City. It is the first study on this topic in the Ciénaga de Mallorquín that evaluated the state of pollution based on marine litter inside the mangrove forest in the Ciénaga de Mallorquín. A total of 860 items and 77.9 kg of litter were collected, equivalent to an average density of 23.89 items*m-2 and 2.16 kg*m-2. Plastic was the main litter item (43.55 %), followed by polystyrene, rubber, and processed wood, most of which comes from inland sources such as dumping and recreational and urban activities and is transported mainly by local streams. Of the litter collected, 87.3% was characterized as persistent buoyancy items. The mangrove forest is classified in a dirty state (Class IV), with a considerable number of hazardous items (Class III). The CM needs an urgent, integral, and proactive management plan to reduce litter at its sources, adopting and improving measures such as education and public awareness, good management practices, recycling, and reuse.
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Marine litter and microplastic pollution on mangrove soils of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean
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Researchers assessed marine litter and microplastic contamination in mangrove soils of Colombia's largest coastal lagoon system for the first time. They found significantly higher litter concentrations near populated areas, with plastics comprising up to 96% of all debris, and microplastic levels varying widely across sampling sites. The study highlights the link between inadequate waste management in coastal communities and microplastic accumulation in ecologically important mangrove habitats.
Impacts of marine debris contamination in the mangrove ecosystem of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean
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This study assessed the impacts of marine debris, including plastic, on the mangrove ecosystem of Colombia's Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, finding widespread contamination with negative effects on both ecology and local communities. Mangroves are important coastal filters but are being overwhelmed by plastic inputs.
Seasonal variation in plastic litter pollution in mangroves from two remote tropical estuaries of the Colombian Pacific
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Researchers found that plastic litter in two remote Colombian Pacific mangrove estuaries was dominated by microplastics, with higher abundances during high-rainfall seasons in both surface waters and sediments, and foams and fragments being the most common types.
Presence of Microplastics in Macroinvertebrates of Mangroves in the Colombian Pacific: Are Feeding Behaviors Determinant for its Abundance?
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in every single shellfish and crab sample they tested from mangrove forests in Colombia, with an average of about 25 particles per animal. These particular species, cockles and crabs, are commonly eaten by local communities, meaning the plastic contamination in their environment could be making its way into the human food chain through seafood.
Impactos de la contaminación por basura marina en el ecosistema de manglar de la Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Caribe colombiano
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Researchers identified and assessed the negative impacts of marine debris pollution on the mangrove ecosystem of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta in the Colombian Caribbean, documenting observed and potential impacts through field surveys conducted in February 2018.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.