Abstract

Marine debris on coastal shores has many detrimental effects to ecosystems, including hazards to the health and safety of marine life, as it often entangles or is ingested by seabirds, marine fish, and mammals. Debris has varying effects locally; in certain cities in Mexico, garbage presence has caused severe levels of impacts to the coastal zone. This study is aimed at supporting marine researchers and conservation efforts in Mexico by addressing the issues of debris presence along the coastal zone of Veracruz via assessing how much and what types of marine debris is pre-sent. Veracruz is of particular importance, as it home to a system of 17 coral reefs that are protected by the gov-ernment. These protection efforts and the health of these reef ecosystems are thwarted by the high amounts of refuse and debris on local beaches. Garbage collection occurred between May, 2013 and June, 2013 along three separate collec-tion sites of varying composition. The total area for collection was 1.06 miles of rocky and sandy shores. Debris abun-dance ranged between .01 pounds/meter and .55 pounds/meter, while this varied according to collection site. A total of 1806 pounds was collected, the majority (over 90%) of which were recyclable materials, such as glass, plastics, rubber, paper, cardboard, and aluminum. The most abundant type of refuse collected was glass. This study provides a baseline for future debris scholarship and conservation efforts on the coasts of Veracruz, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

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