An open-source geospatial framework for beach litter monitoring

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Marine Biology
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• Beach litter is a significant environmental issue requiring efficient monitoring.
• Existing data collection and analysis methods can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
• There is a need for accessible, interoperable tools for marine debris research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a customizable beach litter monitoring framework using free and open-source software (FOSS).
• To improve data collection, accessibility, and interoperability between fieldwork and analysis.
• To reduce the time from data collection to usable products.

Main Methods:

• Development of a geospatial framework utilizing QGIS, QField, and R code.
• Customization of the framework for diverse sampling designs and research questions.
• Application and testing of the framework on a southern Brazilian beach.

Main Results:

• The framework successfully generated baseline data on beach litter amounts, sources, and spatial-temporal patterns.
• Data was spatialized and provided in a tidy format suitable for advanced modeling.
• The process significantly reduced the time lag between fieldwork and data analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed open-source geospatial framework enhances beach litter monitoring efficiency and data quality.
• Adoption of this framework can support local and regional stakeholders in management strategies.
• The framework facilitates reproducible research and the creation of robust marine debris models.