Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119227, Singapore.
Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119227, Singapore.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Nov;196:115645. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115645. Epub 2023 Oct 19.
The potential for marine litter being trapped in biodiverse marine habitats such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs is poorly understood. This study presents the first comprehensive investigation on the status of macro-litter across four marine habitats in Singapore during the two monsoonal seasons. Overall, litter density did not vary considerably between the southwest and the northeast monsoon. The litter density in terms of count was generally lower in seagrass meadows and coral reefs compared to mangroves and beaches. Plastic was the major type of litter found across most habitat types. Notably, many fishing-related items were found on coral reefs, while drinking straws were abundant at the mangrove strandlines during the southwest monsoon. Foam fragments and cigarette butts were common at the beach strandlines. These results suggest that mangroves among other habitats examined here should be prioritised for clean-up efforts in order to restore these critical coastal habitats.
海洋垃圾被困在生物多样性丰富的海洋生境中的潜力，如红树林、海草床和珊瑚礁，目前还了解甚少。本研究首次全面调查了新加坡四个海洋生境在两个季风季节的大垃圾状况。总体而言，西南季风和东北季风期间，垃圾密度在沿海湿地和珊瑚礁之间没有明显差异。从数量上看，海草床和珊瑚礁的垃圾密度通常低于红树林和海滩。塑料是大多数生境类型中发现的主要垃圾类型。值得注意的是，许多与渔业相关的物品都在珊瑚礁上发现，而在西南季风期间，红树林的海滨线上则有大量的吸管。泡沫碎片和烟头在海滩的海滨线上很常见。这些结果表明，在检查的其他生境中，红树林等应优先进行清理工作，以恢复这些关键的沿海生境。
