Tidal fluctuation effect on marine debris characteristics in the Kulon Progo beaches of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Marine debris now considered a global concern, is any solid created by human activity that is either purposely or mistakenly thrown into the coastal environment, directly or indirectly. The presence of marine debris may have a wide range of detrimental effects on coastal ecosystems and the environment, including in the Kulon Progo coastal area of Yogyakarta. Unfortunately, no research on marine debris has been conducted in Kulon Progo Regency so far. As a result, the purpose of this study is to define the marine debris characteristics in Yogyakarta’s Kulon Progo coastal area, as well as to analyze tidal influences on marine debris in the study area. Tidal data were obtained from the Tidal Station Data Information System and the Indonesian Geospatial Reference System, Geospatial Information Agency (BIG). Admiralty methods were used to identify the tidal type based on the 29 days of data every 1 h during the last year. Marine debris samples were collected using the transect and simple random sampling method for each beach during different tide conditions. Furthermore, the statistical method of one-way ANOVA was used to obtain the relationship between tidal and marine debris data. The results show that the Congot and Pasir Kadilangu Beaches tides are a mixed tide prevailing semi-diurnal type (1.50 ≥ F > 0.25). Compared to Pasir Kadilangu Beach, Congot Beach has more macro- and meso-sized marine debris during low and high tides, where plastic debris dominates both beaches. In more detail, during the high tide, the mass and amount of marine debris is more significant than during the low tide on both beaches. This phenomenon is supported by the statistical results with a P-value < 0.05. It means that tidal fluctuations and characteristics of marine debris have a substantial connection.