Litter Burial and Exhumation: Spatial and Temporal Distribution on a cobble Pocket Beach

摘要

A cobble beach (-6O to -8O)located on the South Wales coastline, UK, was studied over a three-month winter period to assess litter input levels. After total beach litter clearance, six surveys were conducted at consecutive spring tides which involved marking of previously unre- corded litter. The beach was soon inundated with debris, predominantly plastic beverage containers. Some marked litter was found to disappear from the beach surface, re- emerging weeks later which suggests that the potential for litter burial has been underestimated in litter research.