RESUMO
Microplastics have become an emerging structural pollutant to the marine environment particularly in the Philippines owing to high plastic load. This study was carried out to determine the occurrence of microplastic and coastal litter in Macajalar Bay, Philippines. Three coastal areas were studied namely, Opol, El Salvador City, and Alubijid with three substations in each area. A total of nine surface sand sediment samples were collected for microplastic analysis. Microplastics were extracted through the flotation method and preliminary identification was carried out using a stereomicroscope. The beach litters were obtained through transect walk in a 5â¯mâ¯×â¯10â¯m quadrant per area. Overall, studied microplastics were mainly angular and filament type with colors varying from blue, black, light orange, pale white, and translucent. Litter analysis showed the dominance of plastics across the study area with a mean cumulative coastal clean index (CCI) of 2.40 (clean).
