Introduction

Plastic resin pellets make a seasonal appearance on South West Australian beaches, showing up in autumn, increasing in numbers during winter and largely disappearing from sight in summer. In 2007 pellets were surveyed between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin and this gave a regional picture of the types and condition of pellets and their distribution. The 2008 surveys aim to widen this survey to include the Perth metropolitan area. Accordingly, a survey targeting plastic resin pellets was carried out between Quarry Bay at the South West tip of Western Australia and Burns beach on the Northern fringe of the Perth metropolitan area covering a coastal stretch in excess of 300 km. This survey was conducted between April and June 2008.