This study investigated the abundance, density, and composition of macroplastics on marine shorelines in Ternate and Tidore, two small islands in North Maluku, eastern Indonesia. Six beaches were sampled on each island in September 2023 and 2024. Five random quadrats were placed along 100 m parallel line transects at the strandline and backline of each beach. Plastics were collected from within each quadrat. In 2023 the total macroplastic abundance in Ternate was 843 items (1327 g), compared to 288 items (789 g) in Tidore. Multivariate Analysis of variance showed significantly more items in both locations in 2024 (Ternate: 1251 items; 2495 g) (Tidore: 867 items; 1639 g). Plastics were classified into eight types: consumer items, packaging, fishing, fragments/remnants, foamed polystyrene, cloth/fibres, other plastics, and tetra packs/drink cartons. Fragments were the most numerically dominant plastic-type on both islands (35.8% – 37.9%), followed by foamed polystyrene (24.9% – 35.9%, while clothing had the greatest weight, followed by packaging. This data highlights the growing challenge of plastic debris in North Maluku (1.95 kg/km in Ternate and 1.41 kg/km in Tidore). Further data analyses presented will assist management responses to reduce macroplastic release to the coastal areas.
Key words: macroplastic, small islands, abundance, composition