Mapping the spatiotemporal patterns of beach litter on UK beaches from 2000 to 2016 ::an emerging hot spot analytical approach

Litter pollution on beaches is a growing problem worldwide that threatens marine species and tourism experiences. It is important to establish a virtual geographic environment by simulating the spatiotemporal pattern of litter to enhance our understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns of geographic environmental elements. This study visualized the spatiotemporal data of litter by type on a total of 1,762 UK beaches on the coastline and offshore islands from 2000 to 2016. Ten major sources of litter—including plastic/polystyrene, rubber, cloth, paper/cardboard, wood (machined), metal, glass, pottery/ceramics, and sanitary and medical items—were investigated in detail. The statistical analysis showed that the overall litter concentration was largely related to the intensity of human activity. Spatially, the hot spots were concentrated in the south, while the cold spots were mostly concentrated along the northern coast of the UK. The significance of the hot and cold spots tended to increase over time. Hot spot and cold spot distribution comparisons of 10 litter types were also conducted. Our results vividly depict the litter distribution in marine environments based on type. A deepened understanding provides clues concerning how to prevent the increasing accumulation of litter and clean litter in marine environments