Marine litter pollution in a subantarctic beach of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas, Chile
Galban, Cristobal
- 1
- 2Universidad San Sebastian
- 3Inst Antartico Chileno
- 4Masaryk University Brno
- 5Universidad Mayor
Journal
Marine Pollution Bulletin
ISSN
0025-326X
1879-3363
Open Access
closed
Volume
202
This study assessed the presence of marine litter along the beach of the city of Punta Arenas, Chile. The sampling period coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 239 plastic waste items were identified out of a total of 638 litter items. The Clean Coast Index reported within this study ranged from Clean (CCI 2-5) to Extremely dirty (CCI >20), especially near the port. The majority of litter items has been classified as originating from varied origins, as it is not possible to pinpoint a precise origin in most items. The results indicate that the predominant plastic litter in Punta Arenas is PVC. The results are discussed in relation to the sources and composition of the residues, the morpho dynamics of the coast, and the CCI is compared with other locations around the globe.