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A critical review on marine litter in the Adriatic Sea: Focus on plastic pollution
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This review critically analyzed data from 53 scientific papers on marine litter in the Adriatic Sea, synthesizing information on microplastic and macroplastic presence in water, beaches, seabed sediments, and biota across this semi-enclosed Mediterranean basin.
Marine litter affects various habitats across the world. This review focuses on the Adriatic region, considering the presence of marine litter as well as microplastics (mPs) and macroplastics (MPs) in different environments (water, beach, seabed and biota). Data from 53 scientific papers were critically analysed, providing a snapshot of this type of contamination, and evidencing critical issues. The final part of the review provides considerations on spatial and temporal trends, comparing data with the available information provided by transport forecasting models. It emerges that the most investigated areas are those most subjected to the contribution of rivers, tourism or have the greatest relevance to nature conservation. Our analysis also reveals that, even though many international research projects have played a fundamental role in the creation of shared methods and protocols, currently available data are difficult to compare. Nevertheless, our results enhance knowledge of the state of the art in the research carried out so far, and on the situation regarding pollution due to the marine litter in the Adriatic Sea, as well as highlighting avenues for future investigation.
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Marine litter in the Croatian part of the middle Adriatic Sea: Simultaneous assessment of floating and seabed macro and micro litter abundance and composition.
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Floating and seabed macro- and micro-litter in the Croatian middle Adriatic Sea were simultaneously surveyed, finding average floating micro-litter concentrations of 127,000 particles per square kilometer and seabed micro-litter of 36 particles per 100 g dry weight. The study confirms that plastic pollution is widespread at all depths in this semi-enclosed Mediterranean sea.
From Macroplastic to Microplastic Litter: Occurrence, Composition, Source Identification and Interaction with Aquatic Organisms. Experiences from the Adriatic Sea
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This review examined the occurrence, composition, and ecological interactions of marine litter from macroplastic to microplastic scale in the Adriatic Sea, summarizing field data on abundance, polymer types, distribution patterns, and observed effects on aquatic organisms.
Floating plastics in Adriatic waters (Mediterranean Sea): From the macro- to the micro-scale
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Researchers quantified macro- and microplastics across the Adriatic Sea from populated gulfs and river outlets to offshore waters in five countries, finding widespread plastic contamination including small-sized fragments and demonstrating that small vessels enable detection of plastic size fractions missed by standard surveys.
Microplastics in the Marine Environment of the Adriatic
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This Croatian-language review summarizes research on microplastics in the Adriatic Sea environment, covering their sources, distribution in water and sediments, and documented effects on marine organisms. The authors highlight how toxic compounds adsorbed onto microplastics transfer through food chains and eventually reach humans. The review synthesizes the state of knowledge on Adriatic microplastic pollution for a Croatian-speaking audience.
Macrodebris and microplastics from beaches in Slovenia
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Researchers surveyed both macrodebris on beaches and microplastics in shoreline and sublittoral sediments in Slovenia, providing the first such dataset for this short Adriatic coastline. The study found plastic contamination present even in areas with low tourism activity, suggesting diffuse sources beyond local littering.
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.