Abundance of Macro Plastic Debris and the Beach Profiles of Puerto Rico

Overview

Worldwide, plastic is a material used globally. The main problem is that it is slowly accumulating in the marine environment because this material does not degrade completely. The beach profiles are an accurate measure of the inclination and width of the shoreline. The accumulation of macro debris items is a major threat to the marine ecosystem. For this reason, the main purpose for this investigation was to conduct a research of the abundance of macro plastics and see if there was a relation with the beach profiles. To conduct this project, seven beaches were identified, macro debris items were counted, beach profile was measured, and One Simple ANOVA statistic test was conducted. Based on the results, there was no significant difference between study sites but, there was a significant difference among macro debris. The items more abundant were plastic pieces, cigarettes and straws. The steeper beach was Carolina, and Cabo Rojo was the study site with the less slope. On conclusion, even though the hypothesis was rejected and there was no relation found between the amount of debris and the beach profiles, the impact of the debris on the study sites was clearly noticed and future practical applications were suggested.

Competition history

• JSHS 2020 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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