This study assessed different reef zones (lagoon, reef crest, reef slope) in three urban locations around Okinawa Island (Mizugama, Ginowan, Sunabe) and two marine protected areas around nearby Aka Island (Hizushi, Sakubaru) for marine litter pollution and litter interactions with reef organisms. A total reef area of 2250 m2 was surveyed by scuba diving, and 46 marine litter items were recorded. Litter density ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 items/m2, and plastics (76.09 %) and metals (15.22 %) were the most common litter types. The substrates for litter items were live corals (52.17 %), followed by dead corals and algae (26.09 %), sand (13.04 %), and rocks (8.70 %). Litter items on live corals were entangled exclusively with branching Acropora spp. (95.83 %) and Pocillopora spp. (4.17 %). This study highlights the need to protect coral reef ecosystems from the impacts of urbanisation in order to conserve and sustain their ecological and economic benefits.

中文翻译：

---

日本冲绳海洋垃圾与城市珊瑚礁相互作用的评估


本研究评估了冲绳岛周围三个城市地点（水釜、宜野湾、砂边）和附近阿嘉岛周围两个海洋保护区（Hizushi、Sakubaru）的不同珊瑚礁区（泻湖、礁顶、珊瑚礁斜坡）的海洋垃圾污染和垃圾与珊瑚礁生物的相互作用。通过水肺潜水调查了总珊瑚礁面积 2250 m2，记录了 46 件海洋垃圾。垫料密度范围为 0.01 至 0.05 件/m2，塑料 （76.09%） 和金属 （15.22%） 是最常见的垫料类型。垃圾物品的基质是活珊瑚 （52.17 %），其次是死珊瑚和藻类 （26.09 %）、沙子 （13.04 %） 和岩石 （8.70 %）。活珊瑚上的凋落物仅与分枝的 Acropora 属 （95.83 %） 和 Pocillopora 属 （4.17 %） 纠缠在一起。这项研究强调了保护珊瑚礁生态系统免受城市化影响的必要性，以保护和维持其生态和经济效益。