Understanding allochthonous marine litter in a Protected Area in the Amazon Coast.

Studies on international waste on the Amazon coast are lacking, leaving a substantial knowledge gap concerning the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental repercussion of this issue. In this context, the objective of this study is to comprehensively characterize and trace the origins of allochthonous litter discovered on a beach situated within a Protected Area. Given this, the hypothesis of this study is that the international litters comes from vessels operating in the region. A total of 384 containers were collected, originating from 36 countries, with those located in Asia and Africa showing the highest prevalence. Among the bottles with identified expiration dates, 76 % are newly arrived, confirming our hypothesis. The presence of older waste may result from a combination of the absence of beach cleaning public services and local dynamic processes. While international engagement is necessary, local communities, along with the scientific community, have taken proactive measures to address the problem. • This study marks one of the initial investigations into macrolitter on the Amazon coast. • Allochthonous marine litter within a Protected Area along the Amazon Coast • Shipping activities are responsible for the existence of local allochthonous marine litter. • Plastic bottles are the most common item of local allochthonous marine litter. • Illegal dumping of foreign marine litter threatens local ecosystems and livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]