Plastic pollution in paradise: Daily accumulation rates of marine litter on Cousine Island, Seychelles.

The daily accumulation rates, composition, sizes and potential sources of marine litter collected on a remote island within the Western Indian Ocean were investigated. In total, 9119 items of marine litter were collected during 40 surveys, which equated to 0.0082 items·m·d. Between 2003 and 2019 there was a significant increase in the amount of litter deposited, with the highest daily accumulation rate recorded in 2019 (0.0255 items·m·year). All specific litter types increased over time and also differed significantly in their accumulation rates, with polystyrene fragments/pieces (0.00249 items·m·d), plastic items (0.00135 items·m·d) and plastic bottles (0.0011 items·m·d) being the most commonly encountered during this study. The majority of the litter found was ≤5 cm in size. Nearly all (>80%) litter collected was made of or contained some form of plastic. Recommendations for improved management of litter and the importance of establishing regular beach clean-ups within the Seychelles are briefly discussed.