The abundance, composition and sources of marine debris in coastal seawaters or beaches around the northern South China Sea (China)

► The northern South China Sea is a sensitive ecosystem with intense coastal/shipping activity. ► We firstly had a survey of marine debris around the northern South China Sea in 2009-2010. ► Marine debris surveyed included floating debris, seafloor debris and beached debris. ► The main source was land-based, mostly attributed to coastal/recreational activity. ► This study was to provide a baseline for future comparisons.