Our Data

Figure 1. Percentage of Marine Debris Present at Back Cove (2022-2025).

Pie chart depicting relative percentages of macroplastics at Back Cove, Portland, ME over three years (2022-2025). Plastic accounted for 73.6% of debris, followed by paper and lumber at 20.7%, cloth (1.9%), metal (1.8%), and rubber (1.1%). Data were collected during annual cleanups conducted from 2022 to 2025 (n=3). 

Figure 2: Types of Plastic Waste Present at Back Cove, Portland ME.

 Pie chart showcasing the kinds of plastic waste present at Back Cove, Portland, ME. Smoking products account for 24.8% of plastic waste, while food wrappers comprise 22.7%, followed by fragments (13.4%), film (10.8%), other miscellaneous items (8%), foam fragments (6.1%), and personal care items (0.7%). 

Figure 3: Average Number of Microplastics per 500 mL Water Sample. 

Histogram of average number of microplastics per 500 mL at Back Cove, Parking Lot and Right Side, Scarborough Marsh, and Willard Beach. Back Cove Parking Lot averaged 30 particles per 500 mL, while Right Side averaged 43. Scarborough Marsh and Willard beach averaged 30 and 19 respectively, per 500 mL sample.