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Monitoring microplastics in coastal waters of a biosphere reserve: a case study in Menorca (Spain)
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Researchers sampled surface waters at 90 sites around the UNESCO-protected island of Menorca, Spain, finding microplastics in every single sample at consistent levels across two years. Fiber-type plastics dominated everywhere except the commercial port, where packaging foam made up nearly half of all particles — pointing to shipping activity as a local source. The study establishes a harmonized monitoring baseline useful for tracking whether EU marine pollution policies are actually working.
This study provides with evidence of the presence of sea surface microplastics in a UNESCO marine biosphere reserve: the island of Menorca in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. From a total of 90 samples, in 100% of the samples, microplastics were observed with a mean value of 0.18 ± 0.01 items/m2. According to data, no significant differences were observed for sampling period with very similar values between 2021 (0.17 ± 0.02 items/m2) and 2022 (0.18 ± 0.02 items/m2). However, significant differences were observed regarding sampling area (both site and locality) suggesting that sea surface plastics in the study area might be more dependent of the spatial scale rather than on the temporal scale. Fibre type microplastics predominated over fragments, films, pellets, and foams, but in the commercial Port de Maó, almost 50% of the identified items were foams which could be related to the transportation of packed goods to this port. Results from the model applied to study the relation between waste management indicators and microplastic abundance indicate that when considering all marine litter categories, the explanatory variables are plastic waste generated by residents population (tonnes/year/km2) and waste collection rate (%), whereas if only plastics are considered, the indicator regarding waste per capita (kg/hab/year) is also included. Data in this study is obtained through a harmonized protocol which can be used to define baseline and threshold values to evaluate good environmental status regarding descriptor 10 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
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Microplastics in sediments of artificially recharged lagoons: Case study in a Biosphere Reserve
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Microplastics were found in sediments of shallow wetland lagoons in Spain, with wastewater-receiving lagoons having higher concentrations and more fibers and fragments. The study suggests that even protected wetlands declared UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are accumulating microplastic pollution from agricultural and urban water sources.
Quarterly variability of floating plastic debris in the marine protected area of the Menorca Channel (Spain)
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Floating plastic debris was monitored quarterly over a year in a marine protected area in the Menorca Channel (Spain), revealing seasonal variation tied to wind patterns and ocean currents. Even protected marine areas are not shielded from plastic pollution, with peaks in certain seasons.
First observation on neustonic plastics in waters off NW Spain (spring 2013 and 2014)
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Researchers conducted the first survey of plastic particles in surface waters off the northwest coast of Spain over two years, finding plastic microparticles at 95% of sampling stations. The baseline data will help implement the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive's monitoring requirements for marine litter in this region.
Sea surface surveys for microplastic and floating marine macro litter items in coastal waters of Cabrera Archipelago Maritime Terrestrial National Park
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Net surveys around the Cabrera Archipelago National Park in the Balearic Islands found enormous quantities of microplastics — averaging over 380,000 particles per square kilometer — with polyethylene and polypropylene making up 98% of the material. Even this protected marine area showed high contamination, and smaller survey vessels were far better at capturing the smallest size fractions than larger research ships used in comparable studies. The findings establish a pollution baseline for one of the Mediterranean's few marine protected areas and demonstrate that legal protection from human activity does not shield coastal waters from microplastic drift.
Quantifying Marine Surface Microplastics in La Parguera Natural Reserve, Puerto Rico
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Scientists tested the waters of a Puerto Rico marine reserve for microplastics—tiny plastic bits from broken-down trash and packaging—and found surprisingly low levels, similar to what's found far out in the open ocean. This suggests local coastal sources (like beach litter) aren't the main culprit; instead, ocean currents may be carrying plastics in from elsewhere. While this study didn't test health effects, microplastics are increasingly found in seafood and drinking water, and this research helps establish a baseline to track whether pollution in this reserve gets worse over time.
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