Session: Undergraduate Research Posters: Environmental Chemistry:

Plastics such as in water bottles and plastic bags alongside other forms of garbage can been found in great quantities in the ocean and coastal regions of many countries. They pose a great threat to coastal species and pose other public health issues like microplastics in fish that we consume. Scuba Dogs Society, a non-profit organization in Puerto Rico, coordinates a Coastal Cleaning Campaign every year in all the island. Their goal is to collect and record the amount of garbage and its characteristics. They have been collecting and recording data for more than 10 years, and some information of that data has been published. This study used data collected by Scuba Dogs Society during the 2019 Coastal Cleaning Campaign to evaluate its characteristics. Applying descriptive and inferential statistical method we identified coastal regions with largest accumulation of garbage. In addition, what is the main composition of the garbage collected in Puerto Rico beaches, compared to other countries and how different is this composition. Furthermore, we evaluated if beaches with garbage bin collectors have more or less garbage than those with no garbage bin collectors. Results will help to propose education programs and identify if garbage bins in beaches do really help to keep beaches clean.

Yvonne Aviles-Martínez

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