Assessment of marine debris on the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Biosphere reserve, MAB-UNESCO), a unique wetland in northern Argentina

Abstract

In Argentina, studies dealing with marine debris coastal wetland beaches are scarce, particularly those encompassing biosphere reserves in northern Patagonia. A total of 6513 items, weighting 66.3 kg, were collected in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Biosphere Reserve, MAB-UNESCO) over a three-month period. The survey included beaches facing the open coast and those facing the lagoon. Our results indicate that almost all marine debris metrics (i.e., total abundance and total mass of marine debris, abundance and mass of plastic debris; abundance of all sizes and color codes of plastic debris, and abundance of presumed sources of plastic debris) varied significantly at the beach scale, with higher loads on the beaches facing the open coast, particularly at the very mouth of the estuary. This information may aid the Management Committee of the Biosphere Reserve as well as the city council in addressing issues related with marine debris in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon.