Innovation and technology to predict coastal contamination by solid waste and socio-environmental risks in southeastern Brazil

• Grant number: 24/17765-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Chemical Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Ítalo Braga de Castro
• Grantee: Leonardo Lopes Costa
• Host Institution: Instituto do Mar (IMar). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The oceans are globally impacted by tons of waste resulting from inadequate disposal practices and mismanagement. This global challenge has generated significant effects on the contamination of environmentally relevant ecosystems, such as sandy beaches. In fact, beaches have been the target of contamination, accumulating solid waste discarded by visitors or of marine origin, also functioning as sinks, due to their depositional dynamics and the interception of garbage in vegetated areas. Although they are recognized as critical centers of contamination, identifying predictors of the quantity and diversity of solid waste on beaches is still a challenge, mainly due to the lack of standardized collection methods and the limited spatial scalability of available scientific approaches. In order to support decision-making by public authorities, new monitoring strategies that provide rapid and large-scale responses, establishing sources and potential impacts need to be implemented. In this regard, although citizen science projects are capable of generating relevant data and engaging people, they still do not fully exploit technologies that are currently available. This proposal aims to develop, test and optimize a videographic method to support citizen science projects aimed at robust monitoring of solid waste on sandy beaches. The main objective is to evaluate whether standardized filming of beach sand with everyday devices can produce reliable estimates of density and diversity of macro and meso solid waste, in addition to predicting the influence of environmental and socioeconomic variables related to contamination. Additionally, the study will qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the colonization of solid waste by encrusting species, including the identification of potential invasive species. Therefore, the execution of this proposal will provide the opportunity to establish a solid and pioneering scientific basis for the creation of an innovative citizen science program. It will also establish a baseline on the environmental risks associated with solid waste, with regard to the proliferation of invasive alien species. The project will also provide predictive information on environmental and socioeconomic factors that influence coastal contamination, contributing to more efficient environmental management of coastal areas. The execution of this project will include the daily production of content for social networks, strengthening scientific dissemination and increasing visibility and engagement with collaborating institutions. The results generated may also support recent discussions in the context of national and regional strategies to reduce the impacts induced by marine litter. (AU)