Type and Abundance of Marine Debris during Northeast Monsoon and Intermediate Monsoon Season in Tanjung Batu, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Maximillan Giovannily Rambo, George Entong (2022) Type and Abundance of Marine Debris during Northeast Monsoon and Intermediate Monsoon Season in Tanjung Batu, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Marine debris is defined as any substance disposed of, wasted, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Marine debris possess a threat in many ways such as reduce an aesthetic value of a beach, threaten wildlife and may cause spread of disease. The last studies on marine debris in Tanjung Batu Bintulu, Sarawak, were conducted in 2014 and there is no recent information on the state of marine debris on this beach. This study was conducted to assess the abundance of marine debris in Tanjung Batu during the NEM in January 2022 and the IM in March 2022, as well as to document the perception of beach’s user on marine debris issues. The results of this study indicated that during NEM season more marine debris was recovered per kilometre than during IM seasons which were 533 items/km and 481 items/km respectively. Plastic was reported to be the most abundant type of marine debris collected, representing for 87.08% (883 items/km) of the total marine debris collected, followed by metal, timber, rubber, and glass. The majority of marine debris, 66.77% (677 items/km) of the total marine debris collected, derived from common-based sources, while those from landbased and ocean-based sources represented for 21.10 % (214 items/km) and 12.13 % (123 items/km), respectively. The data on beach user perception revealed that the majority of beach’s user (72 %) were unconcerned with the beach's cleanliness and marine debris issues. The majority of marine debris on this beach has been attributed to visitors. Regular public awareness initiatives on the issue of marine debris are necessary to increase public knowledge and concern over the need for marine environment conservation and preservation.

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