Coastal debris survey in the remote beaches of the Great and Little Nicobar Islands, India.

Abstract Debris from four beaches of the Great Nicobar and five beaches of Little Nicobar Islands were collected using transect based approach during March-April 2016 for assessing the status of marine debris. The collected debris were segregated into five types; plastics, fisheries, medical waste, house waste and food packaging and were analysed to estimate their composition, abundance, number and weight per unit area. Percentage contribution (number) of plastic debris (Great Nicobar (GN): 59.95%; Little Nicobar (LN): 53.02%), fisheries (GN: 17.88%; LN: 25.76%), house waste (GN: 11.07%; LN: 8.89%), medical waste (GN: 5.93%; LN: 6.04%), and food packaging (GN: 5.16%; LN: 6.28%) were determined and compared. Debris of foreign origin, mostly plastics of various colours, were reported in all the beaches while medical wastes were of local origin. The study focuses on plastic debris and its deleterious effects on the marine environment and discusses the role of wind, waves and shipping activities on the accumulation/movement of debris in the Andaman sea.