Transport of floating litter within Manila Bay, Philippines

The increasing amount of marine litter is a global issue that is also being experienced within the Manila Bay Philippines. To better understand the behavior of litter within the bay, particle tracking simulations of floating litter released from several sources were conducted. Forward-in-time (PTM-FIT) simulation of particle movements showed that during the southwest monsoon season, litter particles released by river sources tend to accumulate toward five hotspots located along the northeastern coastline of the bay. Backward-in-time (PTM-BIT) simulation of particles released from the identified hotspots showed coastal and foreign sources contributing to the litter collected within these areas. PTM-FIT simulations during the southwest monsoon season showed that particles tend to circulate locally within the bay before being transported toward the hotspots. By contrast, PTM-FIT simulations during the northwest monsoon season showed that litter particles tend to travel toward the mouth of the bay, an implication for global marine litter pollution.