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MICROPLASTICS AROUND AUSTRALIA
AUSMAP RESULTS
Plastic pollution is now recognised as one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. However, with increasing plastic production, and approximately 12 million metric ton leaking into our oceans annually, plastic pollution is a rapidly growing problem.
Over the past decade, there has been significant attention given to macrolitter. However, microplastics (plastics < 5mm) are now considered a greater concern, with scientists calling for them to be listed as a hazardous substance.
Of the numerous recognised impacts to wildlife from marine litter, over 70% can be attributed to microplastics, and with their ability to move through the food chain, effects are compounded.
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Microplastics in Australia
In Australia, there is little known on microplastic levels or their impacts - this is where AUSMAP takes part.
As part of the global first, nationwide citizen science project, our volunteers have sampled over 350 shorelines across Australia (both coastal and freshwater)
- over 7,000,000 microplastics already collected!
Here are some results for selected frequently sampled sites and regions.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
South Australia is home to two microplastic hotspots with the highest loads found in Australia. AUSMAP has collected 97 samples across South Australia between 2018 and 2024, with data on microplastic (mp) loads (mp/m2) collected across metropolitan Adelaide, including coastal beaches and extensive sampling around West Lakes, Port River and Barker Wetlands. More regional areas surveyed include the Eyre Peninsula, South East SA, Port Augusta, Whyalla, and Kangaroo Island.
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To date, 45 samples collected from coastal beaches, including metropolitan beaches such as Henley, Glenelg, Tennyson, Hallett Cove, Port Noarlunga, and Brighton Beach all typically presenting loads that are Very Low to Low loads of microplastics, with an average of 8.3 mp/m2. However, when compared to microplastics identified from estuarine locations, the loads are Extreme, with an average of 98,835 mp/m2, collected from 37 samples across metropolitan Adelaide and regionally.
Images taken recently at Barker Inlet showcasing Extreme loads of microplastics
The highest microplastic loads nationally, have been identified across northern Adelaide, with Extreme concentrations found around West Lakes and wetlands Port Adelaide.
Samples collected at Tiranna Reserve and Blackdragon Beach, West Lakes, have exceeded loads of 35,000 mp/m2 since 2019, measuring Extreme on AUSMAP’s grading scale. As a semi-enclosed estuarine system, the West Lakes accumulate microplastic waste from industrial and urban activities up-catchment.
Sampling at seven sites along the Port River showed concentrations ranging from 0 mp/m2 at Club Beach, to over 750,000 mp/m2 at Carp Pond on the edge of the Barker Wetlands - the highest loads of microplastics found nationally. Analysis of these samples showed that they were dominated by industrial pellets and hard fragments, referred to as ‘shards’ - from industrial processing of larger plastic items. These excessive loads indicate significant, and ongoing, mismanagement of plastics factories in the upper catchment areas. Read more about this here.
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Map of West Lakes, South Australia. Black points indicate very high microplastic loads (> 1000mps/m2).
Chart showing the type of microplastic at West Lakes.
QUEENSLAND
THe coast of queensland
During 2019, data collected by our volunteers & those part of the ReefClean program, have found
low loads of microplastic along the Queensland coast. We have also conducted rubber crumb research in collaboration with ReefClean to document rubber crumb loss from play areas in the GBR catchment.
The highest levels were found in the Burdekin Dry Tropics region near Townsville with 27 mps/m2 - made up of mostly hard plastic fragments and polystyrene foam.
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Graph illustrating trends of microplastic loads per m2 on average across Qld regions.
Error bars are Standard Error of the Mean.
The relatively low levels of Queensland are a promising result but more data, particularly around Brisbane and the southeast, is needed to give a more definitive idea of microplastic loads in the state.
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Map of microplastic loads along Queensland Coast.
Green points indicate very low levels (<10mps/m2) and yellow points low levels (10-50mps/m2)
THE HIGHEST MICROPLASTIC LOADS IN AUSTRALIA
NEW SOUTH WALES
Sydney
As Sydney is home to the AUSMAP head office & the largest number of citizen scientists involved in the program, we have the greatest number of sites sampled per area.
Data shows the variable nature of the microplastics in the region with loads ranging from low to very high, some of which are only relatively short distances apart. These differences are driven by local currents, shore aspects, and physical features.
Harbour sites were found to consistently have moderate to high microplastic loads pointing to this catchment as a major source to the nearby coast.
Similarly, the Cooks River which flows into Botany Bay was found to have very high microplastic loads near its mouth and would be another major source into the nearshore environment.
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Microplastic loads collected during sampling in 2019 around Sydney.
Manly COve
Monthly microplastic data, collected from Manly Cove by our Community Champion Ali, has shown that the levels and types vary not only spatially but also temporally.
Numbers spike after certain weather events but remain relatively consistent at moderate to high levels outside of these times. Not only do numbers vary but types of microplastic change over time.
A trend of hard plastics dominating the warmer months and polystyrene foams are found more often in cooler months, which may suggest weather and catchment or water-based activities may be influencing factors.
Graph showing changes in microplastic amounts at Manly Cove, Sydney over time
Graph showing changes in microplastic types as a percentage at Manly Cove, Sydney over time