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Plastic occurrence in Macaronesia: Three years of monitoring on forty-six beaches across nineteen islands in an Atlantic region
The Science of The Total Environment2025
Score: 38
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
May Gómez,
João Pereira,
João Pereira,
Sofía Huelbes,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Ico Martínez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
May Gómez,
Alicia Herrera,
João Canning‐Clode,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
May Gómez,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Christopher K. Pham,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Alicia Herrera,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Clara F. Rodrigues,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Ico Martínez,
Alicia Herrera,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Sofía Huelbes,
Alicia Herrera,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Christopher K. Pham,
Alicia Herrera,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Alicia Herrera,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Alicia Herrera,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
May Gómez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Alicia Herrera,
Christopher K. Pham,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Christopher K. Pham,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Alicia Herrera,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Alicia Herrera,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Alicia Herrera,
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Alicia Herrera,
Ico Martínez,
Alicia Herrera,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Alicia Herrera,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Patrício Ramalhosa,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Soledad Álvarez,
Soledad Álvarez,
Soledad Álvarez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Mara Abu-Raya,
Mara Abu-Raya,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
May Gómez,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Christopher K. Pham,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Ico Martínez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Ico Martínez,
João Canning‐Clode,
João Canning‐Clode,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Ico Martínez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Ico Martínez,
Alicia Herrera,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Ico Martínez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Leila Teixeira,
Ico Martínez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
João Canning‐Clode,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Sergio J. Álvarez‐Méndez,
Ico Martínez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Ico Martínez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Ico Martínez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Ico Martínez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Soledad Álvarez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Ico Martínez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Alicia Herrera,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Natacha Nogueira,
May Gómez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Ico Martínez,
Christopher K. Pham,
May Gómez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Alicia Herrera,
Ana Vera Cardoso Alves,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
João Canning‐Clode,
João Canning‐Clode,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
João Canning‐Clode,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Ico Martínez,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Christopher K. Pham,
Christopher K. Pham,
Christopher K. Pham,
Christopher K. Pham,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
May Gómez,
Ico Martínez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Natacha Nogueira,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Natacha Nogueira,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Christopher K. Pham,
May Gómez,
Alicia Herrera,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
May Gómez,
João Canning‐Clode,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Christopher K. Pham,
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández,
Christopher K. Pham,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
May Gómez,
João Canning‐Clode,
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Ico Martínez,
May Gómez,
Mara Abu-Raya,
Christopher K. Pham,
Alicia Herrera,
May Gómez,
Mara Abu-Raya,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
May Gómez,
Alicia Herrera,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Cristina Villanova-Solano,
May Gómez,
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
Alicia Herrera,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
João Canning‐Clode,
May Gómez,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
May Gómez,
Christopher K. Pham,
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Francisco J. Díaz-Peña,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Alicia Herrera,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Alicia Herrera,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Mara Abu-Raya,
May Gómez,
João Pereira,
May Gómez,
Sofia Garcia,
Mara Abu-Raya,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Sofia Garcia,
Mara Abu-Raya,
Mara Abu-Raya,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Alicia Herrera,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Alicia Herrera,
Soledad Álvarez,
João Canning‐Clode,
May Gómez,
May Gómez,
Natacha Nogueira,
May Gómez,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Christopher K. Pham,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Javier González‐Sálamo,
Cintia Hernández-Sánchez,
Christopher K. Pham,
L. Herrera,
Ico Martínez,
Alicia Herrera,
Sofía Huelbes,
Sofía Huelbes,
João Canning‐Clode,
Ico Martínez,
Natacha Nogueira,
João Canning‐Clode,
João Pereira,
Christopher K. Pham,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Yasmina Rodríguez,
Patrício Ramalhosa,
Clara F. Rodrigues,
Amélia Tavares,
Leila Teixeira,
Javier Hernández‐Borges
Summary
Researchers conducted a three-year seasonal monitoring campaign across 46 beaches on 19 Macaronesian islands, collecting over 271,000 plastic items and documenting average microplastic concentrations of 1,760 items/m2, with the Canary Islands showing the highest contamination, polyethylene and polypropylene fragments dominating, and five new plastic accumulation hotspots identified.
In recent decades, plastic pollution has reached alarming levels in all environmental compartments of the planet, with the oceans being one of the most affected. Despite being far from any major direct source of pollution, the Macaronesian region (North Atlantic Ocean) is highly exposed to marine litter, mostly plastics. In this study, a total of 46 beaches on 19 islands of 4 archipelagos in Macaronesia were seasonally monitored between 2020 and 2023 in a total of 430 field expeditions to study the presence and extent of micro-, meso-, and macroplastics pollution. Overall, a total of 271,203 plastic items were collected, weighted, and classified according to their size, shape, colour, and chemical composition. The results showed the presence of plastic marine litter on all the beaches studied, with an average concentration of 1760 items/m<sup>2</sup> and 15.30 g/m<sup>2</sup> for microplastics, 315 items/m<sup>2</sup> and 15.58 g/m<sup>2</sup> for mesoplastics, and 35 items/m<sup>2</sup> and 11.81 g/m<sup>2</sup> for macroplastics, with the Canary Islands being the archipelago with the highest concentrations. Fragments (83.3 %), with a predominance of white and colourless (62.9 %), and polyethylene and polypropylene as the main types of polymer, 81.2 % and 11.4 %, respectively, were the plastic particles mainly found. Monitoring of 28 previously unstudied beaches revealed the presence of 5 new hotspots of plastic arrival. Statistical analysis revealed that beaches with northwest to east orientations were receiving a higher concentration of plastic litter than the opposite orientations. However, in the central group of the Azores, a notable hotspot was found on a beach oriented toward the southwest. These spatial patterns clearly reflect the influence of prevailing ocean currents associated with the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, which plays a key role in transporting plastic debris throughout the region. These results may contribute to a better understanding of plastic transport phenomena in a vast oceanic region such as Macaronesia and provide a foundation for further studies in other areas.