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Editorial: Strategies for remediating marine and coastal pollution towards a sustainable development
Summary
This collection of studies looks at how pollution — from algae blooms and excess nutrients to plastic waste — is harming ocean and coastal ecosystems, and what can be done about it. Promising solutions include using ocean bacteria to break down plastic waste and creating smarter environmental policies, but the researchers stress that fixing these problems requires both scientific innovation and stronger international cooperation. Since polluted, unhealthy oceans directly affect the seafood we eat and the coastlines we rely on, these cleanup strategies matter for protecting both marine life and human well-being.
Sathishkumar et al. investigated the effects of Noctiluca scintillans blooms in Indian coastal waters, demonstrating how bloom proliferation and subsequent decay can influence ecosystem functioning and composition. Elevated coastal nutrient concentrations, increased dissolved organic carbon availability, shifts in zooplankton community composition and proliferation of potentially pathogenic bacteria were registered and associated to the monitored harmful algae blooms. These results indicate the link between coastal eutrophication and cascading trophic effects induced by harmful algae. Li et al. demonstrated the importance of investigating multiple environmental drivers in Bohai Bay (northern China) and identified elevated nutrient concentrations (i.e., eutrophication) as the principal factor affecting benthic community composition, which has direct implications for habitat-specific management and coastal restoration strategies.Together, these two studies emphasize that effective remediation strategies require a solid understanding of ecosystem composition, population specific resilience and the interplay of multiple environmental drivers.Wang et al. identified and characterized a marine microbial consortium capable of degrading polystyrene and polystyrene plastics under laboratory conditions. Although further research is required before large-scale implementation will become feasible, this research provides a promising approach for the potential role of microbial communities for future bioremediation strategies to mitigate the accumulation of persistent macro-and microplastics in coastal areas. Wu et al. demonstrated that environmental regulations can influence land-based pollution based on a 11-year dataset from coastal provinces in China. Their results suggest that well-designed policy instruments can simultaneously promote environmental management and economic development.Three contributions deal with the central role of environmental management and governance. Dan and Tao proposed a framework for judicial cooperation to address marine plastic pollution and highlighted the difficulties of attributing responsibility and holding polluters accountable when contamination crosses national borders. The authors emphasized the importance of coordinated legal mechanisms, information sharing and regional cooperation regarding marine pollution mitigation and ongoing international negotiations for a Global Plastic Treaty. Xu examined the application of the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in for a Global Plastics Treaty. The study adds to current debates on global environmental governance by suggesting the need for dynamic and graded responsibility, thereby indicating the relevance of equilibrating environmental aspirations, national capabilities and development agendas. At the regional level, Li and Bai dealt with the importance of collaborative governance approaches for addressing marine pollution in the Mediterranean. They indicate how differences in economic development and institutional capacity can influence environmental outcomes, underscoring the need for governance arrangements that are both inclusive and adaptive. The latter three studies demonstrate that marine pollution is not solely a scientific or technological challenge. Effective remediation depends equally on governance systems capable of fostering cooperation, supporting implementation and translating scientific evidence into policy action.The ocean is the final destination for anthropic liquid residues and discharges within the Earth system on human relevant time scales. Increased coastal ecosystem pollution and degradation are a clear sign of the divergence between human activities and the capacity of marine ecosystems to absorb, buffer and recover from anthropogenic pressures. Addressing this challenge requires the application of innovative solutions that recognize the interconnected nature of ecological, technological and societal systems (e.g., Locatelli et al, 2025;Chester et al., 2023). Sustainable coastal remediation strategies will not solely depend on improving our understanding of ecosystem responses to pollution, but certainly on developing innovative and scalable solutions that work in equilibrium with natural biogeochemical processes. In this context, fast-growing marine organisms (e.g., bacteria and microalgae) offer a considerable potential for future bioremediation strategies, providing economic opportunities to harness the high metabolic diversity of a relatively untapped natural resource. Additionally, the development of local, regional and international environmental management and governance bodies are important to translate scientific knowledge into effective actions for the benefits of human society. The transition towards cleaner, healthier and more resilient oceans will depend on our capacity to promote ocean sustainability and stewardship and to foster remediation strategies that protect ecosystem integrity while, at the same time, supporting the social and economic benefits that the marine realm provides to us.