Classification and quantification of marine debris at Teluk Likas, Sabah

Marine debris is a well-known issue faced by the public today and the problem is becoming serious day by day. In this study, quantification and classification of marine debris for plastic, fabric, paper, metal, glass and rubber was conducted to evaluate the marine littering of contamination level at Likas Bay. This study also aims to identify the sources of the marine debris whether it was from the land or was brought in from the sea. By selecting 10m x 10m transects randomly, the marine litters that were collected along the bay were rinsed, dried, weighted and classified according to categories. Total of 3396 items/100m2 of marine debris with the weight of 14499.36g/100m2 were collected throughout the study. From the result, it shows that plastic dominated the overall numbers and weight percentage of marine debris with 94.38% in numbers and 65.29% in weight. The study also indicates that the occurrence of marine debris at Likas Bay was not mainly caused from recreational activities at the area, but was brought in from the sea. This may due to the physical condition and the bay position which has the tendency to trap the marine debris from the sea. Therefore, further investigation should be undergoing to overcome and reduce the impact to the marine debris