Quantification and Classification of Marine Litter on Beaches along Armação dos Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Anthropogenic debris constitutes a significant threat to the marine environment, representing a hazard not only for marine and terrestrial animals but also for human activities, health, and tourism. This study provided the first assessment of the type and quantity of marine litter at Armação dos Búzios, Brazil. Búzios is a popular tourist resort, which attracts visitors because of its proximity to Rio de Janeiro City. Sampling was conducted in belt transects of 4-m width, parallel to the coastline. To evaluate the composition and abundance of beach litter, all visible pieces of man-made debris (the number of items) found on each belt transect were identified in situ and recorded. Nearly 16,000 items of litter, belonging to seven categories were counted. An overall mean litter density of 13.76 items /100 m2 was quantified on the Armação dos Búzios beaches. Paper was the most abundant litter item, in particular, represented by cigarette butts. Much of the litter items are discarded by visitors to the beach. Nearshore, hard-bottom litter was also investigated at all beaches. Plastic was the most abundant submerged marine debris observed. Our results indicated that marine debris, particularly fishery-related debris (46% of marine litter) was most commonly found in the subtidal benthic environment. The abundance and distribution of litter through the Armação dos Búzios region seems to be especially influenced by recreational visitors, reflecting inadequate disposal practices.