Plastic resin pellets are ubiquitous in the marine environment and as a micro plastic pollutant they are readily available to a large proportion of the marine food web. Their harm potential comes firstly from ingestion causing blockages, obstructions and a false sense of satiation leading to starvation.

Fish, birds and turtles have all been recorded as having ingested pellets. (1) Their second harm potential comes from their capacity over time to absorb persistent organic pollutants such as the pesticide DDT and its derivative DDE along with other hydrophobic chemicals. (2) Limited research has been carried out on the bio availability of these absorbed chemicals on pellets once ingested. Indications are that bio availability is possible and one consequence of this would be disruption of an organism’s endocrine system. (3)

In 2008 Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society conducted surveys of sites along the west coast to assess the presence of plastic resin pellets. One of the outcomes of these surveys was the identification of a possible source at Fremantle Port and or in the Swan River. (4) A follow up survey of Swan River sites was conducted In June 2010 and the findings are the subject of this report.

The 2009 South West Marine Debris Project Technical Report is now available to download.

The file can be downloaded by clicking here or the report can be read online in the South West Marine Debris Project section.

Many thanks to Wally Smith for his continuing hard work on processing the data.

Join us for the 6th Annual South West Beach Clean Up and help keep our beaches and oceans clean! This year's event will be held over the weekend of October 9th & 10th and cover beaches from Geraldton to Albany in Western Australia.

Volunteers are invited to register as an individual or as a group and nominate a beach or stretch of coastline they will clean up over the clean up weekend. All materials, volunteer insurance and logistical support will be provided, all we need is lots of energy and many hands to help remove marine debris from the coast.

Since the South West Marine Debris Project started in 2004, volunteers have helped remove over 350,000 pieces of marine debris from south west beaches, helping to protect marine life and seabirds and the local marine environment.

To register a group for the South West Beach Clean Up click here.

To register an individual for the South West Beach Clean Up click here.

Or if you'd like to join an existing group, contact the coordinator listed below.

Thanks for your support!!!

In the December 2009 issue of CoastSWAP, the South West and Peel Coastal Management Group's newsletter, the South West Beach Clean Up conducted by Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society volunteers on the 10th and 11th October 2009 has been featured along with more articles regarding the marine debris and events in the South West.

Click here to download the CoastSWAP newsletter from the Downloads section.