The study on the abundance, composition and sources of marine debris was done in beaches and seawaters around the China Seas and coastal provinces.

The results showed mean number and weight densities of beached marine debris (BMD), floating marine debris (FMD) and seafloor marine debris (SMD) with plastics, Styrofoam and wood dominating.

Furthermore, the primary sources of BMD and FMD were coastal/recreational activities and other disposals, while the main source of SMD remained unknown.

This study provides the quantitative evidence for future comparisons with other countries and contributes to the understanding, control and mitigation of such contaminant in the context of China’s current condition of high-speed socio-economic development and severe environmental deterioration.