LE3 .A278 2021

2021

Mallory, Mark

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Accumulation of plastic debris is a worldwide environmental issue, which has gained broad scientific and public attention in the past decade. The marine environment is not exempt from the threat of plastic, with 10% of global plastic waste produced entering the marine environment every year, negatively impacting marine wildlife. While much work has been conducted to quantify plastics in the marine environment, and establish rates of accumulation for modelling efforts, many of these approaches are site-specific and not amenable to rapid surveys. This study is part of an overarching project investigating plastic on Nova Scotia beaches and aimed to: 1) developa “rapid beach assessment technique”, using cell phone photos, with possible applications in citizen science and remote regions, and 2) quantify concentrations of anthropogenic debris along the high tide strandline of beaches in Nova Scotia. Our data suggest that the concentrations of plastic on Nova Scotia beaches are relatively low with little interannual variation, and that densities along the high tide line are lower than the storm line farther backshore on beaches. Interobserver variation was also tested to determine the viability of this rapid assessment approach and we found that that there are some small, but notable, differences in density observations made between observers. However, because of the minimal interobserver variation, the rapid assessment technique appears viable for citizen science applications. A power analysis to determine the appropriate number of quadrats, as well as repeated surveying of sites are recommended to understand and reduce variation in this study.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3625