Volunteer clean-ups have resulted in almost nine tonnes of marine litter being cleared from beaches across the Seychelles, in what researchers have described as a powerful demonstration of the potential of citizen science.
More than 1,220 volunteers were recruited to clear 52 beaches on ten islands at various points between June 2019 and the end of July 2023.
In that time, they surveyed around 930,000m2 of beaches, with volunteers picking up items ranging from foam and rubber to metals and plastics.
In total, the clean-ups resulted in the retrieval of 6,135kg of non-plastic debris and 2,835kg of plastic, such as food packaging, plastic bottles and more weathered items that had originated offshore.
In some locations, the volunteers recorded much of the debris as having been generated locally but in others, up to 75% of the items were found to have been transported from elsewhere.
The findings have been detailed in a study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, led by the University of Plymouth and the environmental organisation, Parley for the Oceans.
They say it demonstrates some of the challenges facing island communities when it comes to managing waste, but also the role local people can play in helping to address the problem.
Alvania Lawen, a BSc Environmental Management and Sustainability student at the University and Seychelles country manager for Parley for the Oceans, is the study's lead author.
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