Marine litter and social inequities entangle Ecuadorian mangrove communities: Perceptions of plastic pollution and well-being concerns in Puerto Hondo and Isla Santay, Ecuador

Abstract

Mangrove forests of Ecuador’s Gulf of Guayaquil are ecologically, culturally, and economically important to local communities relying on them for artisanal fishing, ecotourism, and related businesses. However, these ecosystems have experienced significant degradation by anthropogenic impacts such as anthropogenic marine debris. On one hand, plastics have improved the ease of life and safety for local people of the region; however, plastic pollution threatens the health of the mangrove ecosystem and these communities. This interdisciplinary study explores perceptions of marine litter and its impacts on community well-being based on surveys conducted in Puerto Hondo and Santay Island, two mangrove communities in the Gulf of Guayaquil, in 2019 and 2021. Santay Island respondents expressed that marine litter is an extreme issue affecting their well-being, while Puerto Hondo respondents reported less concern. Authors suggest Puerto Hondo’s geographic link to Guayaquil city has transitioned the community into a “peri-urban” landscape, where community members increasingly look inland for basic needs. Conversely, Santay Island, isolated by estuarine water, is physically linked to the mangroves. It is suggested that as communities spend less time in the mangroves, whether geographically or socially separated, marine litter becomes “out of sight, out of mind” despite its ongoing impacts on local food security and historical heritage. This work illustrates the complexities of plastic use and marine debris. To foster equitable plastic waste governance for exposed coastal Ecuadorian communities, policies must not only account for these intricacies but also actively engage with and listen to local perspectives.