Status : Verified
| Personal Name | Daranciang, Erish Torio |
|---|---|
| Resource Title | From Sources to Sinks: A Data-Driven Framework for Understanding the Socio-Environmental Structure of Marine Plastic Debris Accumulation in Philippine Coastal Systems |
| Date Issued | 15 June 2026 |
| Abstract | In global estimates of marine plastic debris, the Philippines consistently ranks among the world’s top contributors. Yet, spatially refined models grounded in sufficient empirical evidence for understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of marine plastic debris remain scarce. This gap stems from the limited utility of global models for localized applications, as well as the broader absence of integrated frameworks that reflect the country’s archipelagic complexity and socio-environmental heterogeneity. Addressing this gap requires deeper insight into how plastic debris originates from point sources in both land and sea, moves through geomorphic pathways shaped by structural and dynamic factors, and eventually accumulates in nearshore ecological habitats. This study bridged this gap by developing a data-driven framework and applying an ecological lens to characterize macroplastic accumulation in the Philippines. This framework integrated empirical count data from the PlastiCount Pilipinas Portal with socio-economic, environmental, and spatial indicators. Ordination and clustering techniques were used to identify ecological gradients and site groupings, while correlation and network analyses uncovered associations in the multivariate structure. Findings revealed associations between macroplastic loads and key drivers, including socio-economic and urbanization metrics, and hydrological and geomorphological features, which inform the source-pathway-sink dynamics of macroplastic accumulation. This framework offers an interpretable approach that emphasizes context-specific drivers of plastic transport. By grounding the analysis in national-scale datasets, the study contributes toward the development of adaptive monitoring strategies and targeted interventions suited to the Philippine archipelagic setting. |
| Degree Course | Doctor of Philosophy (Data Science) |
| Language | English |
| Keyword | macroplastic accumulation; data-driven framework; socio-environmental gradients; coastal typologies; structural dependencies; archipelagic systems |
| Material Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Preliminary Pages
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Category : P - Author wishes to publish the work personally.
Access Permission : Limited Access