Samenvatting

Marine debris is a growing global problem. Due to the wide ocean dynamics worldwide, predicting the transport of floating marine debris, such as plastic, is difficult. Although large-scale distribution patterns and accumulation zones are recognised and reproduced by numerical models, small-scale prediction of plastic particle spreading in coastal zones is complex and has been done little with high-resolution models. The large differences in coastal bathymetry and hydrodynamics cause the prediction of transport pathways of marine debris to be complex. This research aimed at understanding the behaviour of buoyant particles and the extent to which their transport characteristics are influenced by different hydrodynamic processes that are critical to tidal inlet systems, by modelling the transport of buoyant particles under specific hydrodynamic conditions. An idealized model was used to simulate hydrodynamics and transport characteristics (particle dispersion, mean particle transport, spreading time and beaching) of buoyant particles under the influence of tides, swell in combination with tides, and wind conditions in combination with tides and swell.