The western Mediterranean Sea under study: GES or non-GES regarding floating microplastics

The western Mediterranean Sea faces significant environmental challenges due to the accumulation and dispersion of floating microplastics. This study investigates the spatial and temporal variability of microplastic pollution in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea, assessing its compliance with the Good Environmental Status (GES) criteria of the MSFD and Barcelona Convention. Data from 668 sea surface water samples collected from the Spanish Mediterranean Sea from 2017 to 2023 were analyzed. A mean abundance of 0.24 ± 1.80 sea surface microplastic items/m² was quantified, with significant differences among localities, zones, areas, and macro-areas (KW, p-value ¡ 0.05). Regarding localities, the highest abundances were observed in the protected area of the Columbretes Islands (14.26 ± 8.66 items/m²) and the lowest abundances were given in Fuengirola (0.0008 ± ND items/m²). In terms of area, the Valencian Community had the highest abundances (0.76 ± 0.55 items/m²), while Andalusia recorded the lowest (0.01 ± ND). Sea surface waters around the Peninsular coast had higher abundances (0.41 ± 0.27 items/m2) than around the Balearic Islands (0.21 ± 0.06 items/m2). Fragments and films were the main categories of microplastics, accounting 72 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/558525/document