We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Impacts and Threats of Marine Litter in African Seas
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the impacts of marine litter — with a focus on plastic pollution — on the ecosystems, economies, and communities of coastal African nations, drawing on global data to infer likely impacts where African-specific research is scarce.
Summary With a focus on plastic pollution, this chapter discusses the impacts of marine litter on the natural environment, the people and the economies of Africa. The impacts of marine litter will depend on various factors such as distribution, exposure time, size and type of organism. This chapter focusses on different impacts of marine litter at various scales, from ocean to coast, as well as more localised scales. The emphasis is on the coastal countries of the African continent, where information from Africa is lacking, and relevant data from other regions is used to infer possible impacts. Throughout this chapter, the environmental, social, economic and human impacts are discussed separately, although it should be remembered that these topics are intimately interlinked.
More Papers Like This
Marine Litter Sources and Distribution Pathways
AI summary Read the abstract
This book chapter reviews the sources and distribution pathways of marine litter in African coastal environments, highlighting gaps in research and the need for targeted policies to address plastic pollution along African coastlines.
Introduction to Marine Litter in Africa
AI summary Read the abstract
This introduction to the African Marine Litter Outlook summarizes the state of marine litter including plastics along African coastlines, covering sources, distribution pathways, and the policy frameworks needed to address the problem. The report highlights that Africa faces significant challenges from marine plastic pollution with limited monitoring infrastructure.
Microplastics in African ecosystems: Current knowledge, abundance, associated contaminants, techniques, and research needs
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesized current knowledge on microplastic abundance, associated contaminants, and ecological effects in African ecosystems, a region that ranks among the highest in mismanaged plastic waste. Despite the scale of the problem, the review found insufficient environmental monitoring data from Africa, calling for continent-specific research to support accurate global risk assessments.
Consideration of emerging environmental contaminants in africa: Review of occurrence, formation, fate, and toxicity of plastic particles
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examined the occurrence of micro- and nanoplastics in African environments, covering contamination across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric matrices. It highlighted that despite Africa's significant contribution to global plastic pollution, monitoring data from the continent remain sparse relative to Europe and North America.
Marine Plastic Littering: a Review of Socio Economic Impacts
AI summary Read the abstract
This review assessed the socioeconomic impacts of marine plastic litter, covering effects on tourism, fisheries, shipping, and coastal community well-being, and finding that annual economic costs run into the billions of dollars globally, with developing coastal nations bearing disproportionate burdens.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.