Devastating find on beach highlights 'massive catastrophe' happening along Aussie coastline

Yahoo

7 days ago

A distressing discovery on a quiet Australian beach has laid bare a catastrophe unfolding along Australia's coastline, impacting millions of marine animals — and humans.
Following days of heavy rain and flooding along the NSW Mid North Coast last week which left hundreds without a home and five people dead, hundreds and thousands of items — including a pontoon made out of styrofoam — have washed up on the region's beaches.
The items, which were picked up and carried by floodwaters along the Manning River and washed out to sea, are now making their way back to shore.
The river broke a record when it rose above six metres last week, surpassing the previous high of 5.97m set in 1929. A flood of this magnitude is so rare, it has a probability of less than 0.2 per cent in any given year, making it more uncommon than a 1-in-500-year event.
Concerningly, these items collected by the flooding river are now breaking up into 'a million pieces' and flooding the ecosystem with microplastics and harmful materials.
Amanda Marechal, from charity Take 3 for the Sea, told Yahoo News the daunting clean-up effort ahead will take weeks, if not months. "It's going to take a massive effort to get the beaches back," she said.
Along with the styrofoam pontoon, there have been "entire jetties", livestock such as cows, horses, cars as well as oyster farming equipment ripped away by floodwaters.
"You name it, it's out there," Amanda said. "This is a catastrophic event."
Amanda explained the problem with Styrofoam is "when it does break up, it breaks into tiny little pieces," she explained. "They look a lot like fish eggs, an edible, tasty treat for so many little creatures in our ecosystem."
They are eventually ingested by sea birds, and other animals "all the way up the food chain".
Amanda believes there is "no place" for Styrofoam in the marine system, and she's not the first person who has spotted the single-use plastic item on one of Australia's pristine beaches. Calls to ban the product were sparked after sightings in Bondi, the Sunshine Coast, as well as on Magnetic Island.
Australian Microplastic Assessment Project program director Dr Michelle Blewitt previously described polystyrene balls as a particularly 'horrific' type of plastic. Due to the lightness of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) the balls can travel across the globe via wind and ocean currents.
'Not only that, but when they get out there they break up into smaller pieces,' she told Yahoo News Australia.
Ms Johnston explained that in 1960 less than five per cent of all seabirds had plastic in their systems, by 1980 the numbers rose to about 80%, and now the latest estimates suggest that by 2050, the figure will be 99 per cent.
Debris will be "washing further down the coast' as well," Amanda warned.
Amanda praised the amazing effort by locals who have come out in droves to help clean up the beaches.
"The minute the waters receded and tide dropped, there was so many people on the beach doing what they can," she said. However, microplastics washed into the water will "be a problem for a long time", she said.
"The biggest pieces are going to stay in the environment and break up," she said. Whatever doesn't wash up will get picked up by currents and moved further out to sea.
Amanda has urged anyone who spots debris on the beach to contact the SES, or local council.
"We need to get everything we can out of the ocean, it's a massive job," she said.
Almost 800 properties have been deemed unfit for living, with the number expected to rise
Five people have died: one at Rosewood near Port Macquarie, one in Dorrigo west of Coffs Harbour, one at Nana Glen north of Coffs Harbour, one at Moto north of Taree, and one in Cooplacurripa near Taree
Insurers have received some 4,930 claims from the floods, an increase of about 800 since Monday.
Flood-affected communities across 19 local government areas can apply for grants, loans or payments through myGov
A one-time payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child was made available on Tuesday for those suffering major damage to their home, or serious injury, or loss of a loved one due to the floods
The Australian Tax Office might defer tax lodgements or debt payments to people affected by floods
The big four banks are providing disaster assistance for flood-affected individuals.
with AAP
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Do you have a story tip? Email: [e-mail].
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.