Seasonal deposition of marine debris on an important marine turtle nesting beach in Costa Rica

Abstract

Marine debris pollution poses a threat for wildlife and can negatively impact the economy of communities whose livelihoods depend on tourism. Playa Norte, in northeastern Costa Rica, is an important nesting ground for four marine turtle species identified as vulnerable or endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is highly polluted but has low human occupancy. We conducted accumulation rate surveys following a standardized marine debris protocol from March 2016 to January 2018. Macro-debris was categorized by size and material type. Of the 191,030 debris items retrieved during the two-year study period, 96.2% of them were plastic. Debris accumulation was higher during the dry season (January – September). This study contributes towards understanding the drivers of marine debris pollution in critical wildlife nesting habitats; and informs managers and the local community on possible strategies to prevent and reduce marine pollution, thereby aiding in tourism derived economies.