Classification, composition, and sources of marine litter on beach sediment of Kondang Merak Coast, Malang, Indonesia

Abstract

Marine litter pollution has been examined extensively as a significant environmental concern. Beaches are particularly vulnerable to this form of pollution since it is located between land and sea. Malang is one of the cities on Java Island, with a long coastline and numerous beautiful beaches facing the Indian Ocean. Kondang Merak Beach is a popular tourist destination among locals. However, it is under constant threat from marine litter pollution. The beach is divided into two distinct areas: the foreshore, which is influenced by sea waves and currents, and the backshore, which is significantly impacted by tourist activity. Therefore, this study aimed to examine marine litter on beach sediment and to distinguish the composition of marine litter between foreshore and backshore areas. Quadrat transects of 5 x 5 m and 50 x 50 cm were used to collect bigger and micro-size marine litter, respectively. Of the 895 litter items, 61 % were collected from the backshore and 39 % from the foreshore areas. Bigger-sized litter found in the backshore area was the result of tourism activities. On the other hand, micro-size litter in the foreshore area resulted from fragmentation from bigger-size litter.