Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada
Volume 11, Número 1, Março 2011, Páginas 7-19

DOI: 10.5894/rgci181
* Submissão – 1 Janeiro 2010; Avaliação – 2 Março 2010; Recepção da versão revista – 29 Abril 2010; Disponibilização on-line – 14 Maio 2010

Trends in Marine Debris in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico 1996-2003 *

Tendências do Lixo Marinho no Caribe Norte-Americano e no Golfo do México 1996-2003

Christine A. Ribic ^{@, 1}, Seba B. Sheavly ² & David J. Rugg ³

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@ - Corresponding author: caribic@wisc.edu
1 - U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 218 Russell Labs, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706 USA
2 - Sheavly Consultants, 3500 Virginia Beach Blvd., Suite 212, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 USA; seba@sheavlyconsultants.com
3 - U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53726 USA; drugg@fs.fed.us

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ABSTRACT
Marine debris is a widespread and globally recognized problem. Sound information is necessary to understand the extent of the problem and to inform resource managers and policy makers about potential mitigation strategies. Although there are many short-term studies on marine debris, a longer-term perspective and the ability to compare among regions has heretofore been missing in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. We used data from a national beach monitoring program to evaluate and compare amounts, composition, and trends of indicator marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Gulf of Mexico from 1996 to 2003. Indicator items provided a standardized set that all surveys collected; each was assigned a probable source: ocean-based, land-based, or general-source. Probable ocean-based debris was related to activities such as recreational boating/fishing, commercial fishing and activities on oil/gas platforms. Probable land-based debris was related to land-based recreation and sewer systems. General-source debris represented plastic items that can come from either ocean- or land-based sources; these items were plastic bags, strapping bands, and plastic bottles (excluding motor oil containers). Debris loads were similar between the U.S. Caribbean and the western Gulf of Mexico; however, debris composition on U.S. Caribbean beaches was dominated by land-based indicators while the western Gulf of Mexico was dominated by ocean-based indicators. Beaches along the eastern Gulf of Mexico had the lowest counts of debris; composition was dominated by land-based indicators, similar to that found for the U.S. Caribbean. Debris loads on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico are likely affected by Gulf circulation patterns, reducing loads in the eastern Gulf and increasing loads in the western Gulf. Over the seven years of monitoring, we found a large linear decrease in total indicator debris, as well as all source categories, for the U.S. Caribbean. Lower magnitude decreases were seen in indicator debris along the eastern Gulf of Mexico. In contrast, only land-based indicators declined in the western Gulf of Mexico; total, ocean-based and general-source indicators remained unchanged. Decreases in land-based indicators were not related to human population in the coastal regions; human population increased in all regions over the time of the study. Significant monthly patterns for indicator debris were found only in the Gulf of Mexico; counts were highest during May through September, with peaks occurring in July. Inclement weather conditions before the time of the survey also accounted for some of the variation in the western Gulf of Mexico; fewer items were found when there were heavy seas or cold fronts in the weeks prior to the survey, while tropical storms (including hurricanes) increased the amount of debris. With the development around the globe of long-term monitoring programs using standardized methodology, there is the potential to help management at individual sites, as well as generate larger-scale perspectives (from regional to global) to inform decision makers. Incorporating mechanisms producing debris into marine debris programs would be a fruitful area for future research.

Keywords: marine debris, beaches, U.S. Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, trends, monitoring

RESUMO
O lixo marinho é reconhecido como um problema global e generalizado. Informações confiáveis são necessárias para entender a extensão desse problema, para informar gestores costeiros e elaboradores de políticas públicas sobre as estratégias de mitigação e para avaliar a eficiência das estratégias de mitigação implementadas. Embora existam muitos estudos de curto prazo sobre lixo marinho, ainda carecemos de estudos sobre a região norte-americana do Caribe e do Golfo do México que apresentem uma perspectiva de longo prazo e, talvez mais importante, que sejam capazes de fazer comparações entre regiões. A realização de amostragens para estimar a quantidade de lixo marinho que se acumula nas praias é uma técnica consagrada para avaliar o status da contaminação, não apenas das praias amostradas, mas também como um índice das condições das águas adjacentes. Nós usamos dados obtidos do Programa Nacional Norte-Americano de Monitoramento de Lixo Marinho, um programa de monitoramento praial, para avaliar e comparar a composição e as tendências de itens de lixo marinho indicadores na região norte-americana do Mar do Caribe (Porto Rico e Ilhas Virgens Norte-Americanas) e no Golfo do México, de 1996 a 2003. O programa de monitoramento mediu a acumulação líquida de itens indicadores em um trecho de 500 m de praia a cada 28 dias; sítios foram escolhidos aleatoriamente. O comprimento de 500 m garantiu que um número adequado de itens indicadores fosse coletado para a análise. Itens indicadores forneceram um conjunto de dados padronizados para todas as amostragens; para cada item foi atribuído uma fonte provável: fontes marinhas, fontes terrestres, ou fontes gerais. Itens cuja provável fonte seja marinha são aqueles relacionados com atividades como a náutica/pesca recreativa, pesca comercial e plataformas de óleo e gás. Itens cuja fonte provável seja terrestre foram relacionados a recreação terrestre e sistemas de esgotamento sanitário. Fontes gerais representaram itens plásticos que podem vir tanto de fontes marinhas como terrestres, tais como sacolas plásticas, fitas para embalagens e garrafas plásticas (excetuando-se os vasilhames para óleos lubrificantes para motores). Nós analisamos 344 amostragens em 6 locais na região caribenha, 570 amostragens em 8 locais na região leste do Golfo do México e 182 amostragens em 4 locais na região oeste do Golfo do México. Nós utilizamos contagens médias de cada local (número/500m) e proporções para testar diferenças regionais em termos de quantidade e de categoria de fonte, usando um modelo linear; a significância estatística foi avaliada ao nível de α = 0.10, conforme especificado no planejamento do programa de monitoramento. Nós usamos modelos aditivos generalizados para modelar eventuais padrões temporais, além de efeitos temporais intra-anuais e efeitos associados a eventos meteorológicos inclementes (eventos de alta energia). Nossa abordagem na modelagem dos dados permitiu acomodar possíveis relações não-lineares e foi ajustada para considerar padrões potenciais relacionados à variação temporal intra-anual e aos eventos meteorológicos inclementes, reduzindo a variabilidade e obtendo assim maior poder estatístico para testar padrões inter-anuais. Nós descobrimos que a carga de resíduos foi similar entre a região norte-americana do Caribe e a região ocidental do Golfo do México; contudo, a composição dos resíduos nas praias norte-americanas do Caribe foi dominada por itens indicadores de fontes terrestres, enquanto que a região ocidental do Golfo do México foi dominada por itens indicadores de fontes marinhas. Praias ao longo da costa leste do Golfo do México apresentaram as menores quantidades de lixo marinho; a composição foi dominada por indicadores de origem terrestre, similar ao que foi encontrado para o Caribe norte-americano. Cargas de resíduos nas praias do Golfo do México são provavelmente afetadas pelos padrões de circulação do Golfo, reduzindo as cargas na região leste do Golfo e aumentando as cargas na região oeste do Golfo. Para o Caribe norte-americano, nós identificamos uma grande redução na quantidade total de itens indicadores, assim como em cada categoria de origem, ao longo dos sete anos de monitoramento. Reduções de menor magnitude foram observadas para a quantidade total de itens indicadores ao longo da porção leste do Golfo do México. Em contraste, apenas os indicadores de origens terrestres diminuíram na costa oeste do Golfo do México; indicadores totais, de origens marinhas e de origens gerais permaneceram inalterados. Padrões mensais significativos dos itens indicadores foram encontrados apenas no Golfo do México; as contagens mais elevadas foram observadas durante maio a setembro, com picos em julho. Condições meteorológicas severas antes da data de amostragem também foram responsáveis por alguma variação na parte oeste do Golfo do México. Menos itens foram encontrados quando haviam ocorrido ressacas ou frentes frias na semana anterior a coleta, enquanto que tempestades tropicais (incluindo furacões) aumentaram a quantidade de lixo acumulado. As reduções dos itens indicadores de fontes terrestres não foram relacionadas à população humana nas regiões costeiras; a população humana aumentou em todas as regiões ao longo do período estudado. Mais investigação retrospectiva é necessária para determinar quais mecanismos podem ter causado essas reduções. Com o desenvolvimento ao redor do globo de programas de monitoramento de longo prazo baseados em metodologias consagradas, existe o potencial de se auxiliar o gerenciamento costeiro ao nível local, assim como a possibilidade de se gerar perspectivas de maior escala (regional e global) visando bem informar os tomadores de decisão. A incorporação de mecanismos que transformam resíduos em programas de lixo marinho seria uma área promissora para a pesquisa futura.

Palavras-chave: lixo marinho, praias, região norte-americana do Caribe, Golfo do México, tendências, monitoramento

 

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