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Marine Litter and Microplastics in Protected Areas: A Five-Year Review
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This review pulled together 28 studies and found that plastic pollution, including tiny microplastic bits (mostly a common plastic called polyethylene), shows up on the coastlines of *every single protected natural area* studied, even remote ones far from cities and factories. That matters because these protected areas are meant to be safe havens for wildlife, and the fact that plastic waste reaches even them shows how widespread this pollution has become, with microplastics increasingly linked to concerns about contamination in seafood and drinking water that could affect human health. The researchers also note that scientists still need to agree on standard ways to measure and track this pollution so future
The presence of plastic marine litter (ML) and its associated negative environmental impacts have been documented in all existing parts of the marine and coastal environment, including protected areas (PAs). The aim of this study is to identify gaps in existing research related to the lack of standardization of methods and scarcity of detailed information on the characteristics of ML found. This systematic review provides current information on the methods and results of studies focused on the problem of ML and microplastic (MP) pollution on the coastlines of PAs. This study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. It is based on 28 peer-reviewed publications from four online databases and search platforms: ScienceDirect, PubMed, MDPI and Google Scholar, published between 2021 and 2025. The presence of ML was detected in all 28 studies (100%), confirming the relevance of the problem along the coastlines of PAs, even those far from industrial centers. The reported densities, however, ranged from a few fragments of litter to several thousand items. Plastic was the most common material of ML among all the peer-reviewed publications analyzed. Most of the studies showed that polyethylene (PE) fragments were the dominant type of microplastic (MP) found in coastal environments of PAs. However, despite the growing research on this topic, the problems of lack of detailed information and standardization of methods remain unresolved. This review emphasizes the importance of applying unified methods and conducting long-term monitoring experiments in future research.
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across four coastal sites in northwest Portugal — including a marine protected area, an estuary, a shipwreck, and a marina — finding microplastics everywhere, with higher concentrations near fishing and shipping activities. Polyethylene and polypropylene fibers and films dominated, highlighting the widespread reach of plastic pollution even in protected areas.
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Researchers used filter-feeding bivalves as biological monitors to assess microplastic contamination across 28 marine protected areas along a heavily populated stretch of coastline in southeastern Brazil. They found microplastics in bivalves from all sites surveyed, demonstrating that protected status alone does not shield marine areas from plastic pollution. The study highlights how diffuse, transboundary plastic contamination reaches even designated conservation zones.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.