The distribution and abundance of marine debris on isolated beaches of northern New South Wales, Australia

Beach debris items were collected and categorized during surveys of five isolated beaches on the northern New South Wales coastline in September 2003. The selected beaches covered more than 21 km of contiguous coastline. Litter density and distribution per 500 m segment was calculated. The highest density of litter was found on the most isolated beaches with little public access but no protection by headlands from the ocean swells. The results indicate that management of beach debris needs to focus on reducing the litter entering the marine environment.