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Distribution of Marine Debris During COVID-19 Pandemic at a Pristine Island on the Andaman Sea, Thailand
Summary
This study monitored marine debris on beaches of Libong Island, Thailand, across four seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, finding 1,580 items. Plastic was the dominant debris type, with the highest amounts found during certain seasons, highlighting the need for sustained beach clean-up and waste reduction efforts.
The study was conducted with an exploratory study design to explore the amount of debris around beaches on Libong Island, Thailand. Libong Island is one of the significant tourist attractions in Trang Province. The study was conducted by collecting samples from 4 areas during February, June, September and December 2020. The findings from the study showed that 1,580 items of debris were found with a total weight of 44,744 g. The most common debris found included hard plastic glass, fabric, and fibre, respectively. Thung Ya Kha Beach was the beach where the highest amount of debris was found. The largest quantity of debris (692 items) was found in June, followed by 404 items in February, 274 items in September, and 210 items in December. Based on this study, the outstanding debris was comprised of plastic, including 87 types of plastic, both hard and soft varieties, totaling 805 items. No COVID-19 related products were found on the beach, possibly due to a government emergency declaration. Regarding the closure of beaches and the country's lockdown, there were few Thai tourists. There were no foreign tourists in June or September. The result of the waste separation that the major activity causing waste was shoreline and recreation activity.