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Papers
34 resultsShowing papers from Centre for Marine Socioecology
ClearGlobal plastic pollution, sustainable development, and plastic justice
This review examines how plastic pollution, including microplastics, undermines sustainable development goals and disproportionately affects lower-income nations that lack waste management infrastructure. The authors propose a "plastic justice" framework to address the human rights dimensions of plastic pollution, which poses health risks to communities through contaminated water, food, and air.
The Abundance of Microplastics in the World’s Oceans: A Systematic Review
This systematic review analyzed 73 studies and found microplastics present in surface waters of all five oceans, with concentrations ranging from 0.002 to 62.5 particles per cubic meter. The Atlantic Ocean had the highest levels. The widespread presence of microplastics in our oceans means they are entering marine food chains that eventually reach our dinner plates.
Microplastic consumption elevates fish oxidative stress but does not affect predator-driven mortality
Juvenile coral reef fish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for just two days showed increased oxidative stress and cellular damage, especially when the plastics contained the common plasticizer DEHP. However, the microplastic exposure did not affect the fish's ability to escape predators in short-term trials. The study highlights that microplastics may cause hidden health damage to marine organisms even when they appear to function normally.
Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean: Birds and Marine Mammals in a Changing Climate
This assessment reviews the status of seabirds and marine mammals in the Southern Ocean and how climate change is affecting their populations and habitats. Researchers found that shifting sea ice patterns, changing prey availability, and ocean warming are altering the distribution and breeding success of many Antarctic species. The study notes that plastic pollution, including microplastics, represents an additional stress factor for these vulnerable top predators.
Global Connectivity of Southern Ocean Ecosystems
This paper examines the ecological connectivity between Southern Ocean ecosystems and the rest of the global ocean across multiple trophic levels. Researchers found that Southern Ocean ecosystems are linked to the global system through species migration, ocean currents, biogeochemical cycles, and increasingly through pollution pathways including microplastics. The study emphasizes that these connections make Southern Ocean conservation a matter of global importance.
Food for all: designing sustainable and secure future seafood systems
Researchers used an evidence-based narrative approach to examine global seafood system trajectories through 2030, constructing a business-as-usual scenario and a more sustainable alternative, and finding that equitable access and nutritional adequacy — not just production volume — must be central to sustainable seafood policy.
Quantification and characterization of microplastics in commercial fish from southern New Zealand
Researchers quantified microplastic ingestion in ten commercially important fish species from southern New Zealand using microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The study found that 75% of fish contained microplastics, with an average of 2.5 particles per fish, predominantly fibers in blue, black, and red colors, composed mainly of polyester and polyethylene terephthalate.
Plastic additives and legacy persistent organic pollutants in the preen gland oil of seabirds sampled across the globe
Researchers analyzed preen gland oil from 145 seabirds across 32 species worldwide for plastic additives and legacy persistent organic pollutants. The study found PCBs and pesticides were ubiquitous and correlated with trophic level, while plastic-associated UV stabilizers were detected in 46% of individuals, suggesting that seabirds are exposed to plastic-derived chemicals alongside traditional pollutants through their diet.
Measures for improving water quality to bend the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss
This paper examines measures for improving water quality to reverse the decline of global freshwater biodiversity, addressing pollutants including microplastics along with chemicals, heat, light, and pathogens. Researchers analyzed the complex pathways through which these contaminants degrade aquatic ecosystems worldwide. The study identifies strategies for reducing pollutant loads to protect freshwater species and ecosystem health.
Resilient rivers and connected marine systems: a review of mutual sustainability opportunities
This review examines how river health directly and indirectly contributes to marine sustainability outcomes under SDG 14, identifying mutual opportunities for addressing pollution, habitat degradation, and fisheries management from a river-to-sea perspective.
Responses of Southern Ocean Seafloor Habitats and Communities to Global and Local Drivers of Change
This synthesis reviewed current knowledge on Southern Ocean seafloor habitats and benthic communities, documenting how both global drivers (ocean warming, acidification) and local human activities are altering community structure, and identifying priority areas for expanded monitoring.
Microplastic Pollution in Deep-Sea Sediments From the Great Australian Bight
Deep-sea sediment cores from the Great Australian Bight (1,655–3,062 m depth) were analyzed for microplastics using fluorescent dye staining, finding MP contamination at all six sampling locations — extending evidence of microplastic pollution to remote Australian deep-sea environments.
The empirical evidence for the social-ecological impacts of seaweed farming
This systematic review assessed empirical evidence for social and ecological impacts of seaweed farming globally, finding that while benefits like improved water quality and coastal livelihoods are well-documented, many other claimed benefits lack strong empirical support.
Evaluating the environmental impact of cleaning the North Pacific Garbage Patch
Researchers developed an environmental impact assessment framework and applied it to evaluate the net benefit of cleaning the North Pacific Garbage Patch, using The Ocean Cleanup project as a case study and weighing benefits to marine life and carbon cycling against harm caused by the cleanup operation itself.
A field and laboratory manual for sampling, processing and reporting microplastics in coastal and marine environments
This paper presents a comprehensive, standardized field and laboratory guideline for sampling, processing, and reporting microplastics in coastal and marine environments, developed through international collaboration. The harmonized protocols aim to improve comparability of data across global monitoring programmes.
Cascading tipping points of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean
Researchers identified eight interconnected tipping points in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean — including ice sheet collapse, ocean acidification, and invasive species — that could trigger cascading and irreversible changes to the planet's climate system. The analysis warns that local pollution and climate change together dramatically increase the risk of these tipping points being crossed.
A creeping crisis when an urgent crisis arises: The reprioritization of plastic pollution issues during <scp>COVID</scp>‐19
This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic led governments and industry to deprioritize single-use plastic reduction policies in favor of hygiene and health concerns. Policy analysis showed that the pandemic was used as justification to reverse plastic reduction commitments and increase single-use plastic consumption.
100 Opportunities for More Inclusive Ocean Research: Cross-Disciplinary Research Questions for Sustainable Ocean Governance and Management
This paper synthesizes cross-disciplinary research questions from major ocean science and policy scanning exercises, producing a list of 100 questions that require collaborative approaches to inform sustainable ocean governance. Topics range from coastal environmental change to marine technology and socioeconomic innovation as they relate to ocean health.
Productivity and Change in Fish and Squid in the Southern Ocean
This review examined fish and squid productivity in the Southern Ocean, finding that these mid-trophic species play critical roles in food web dynamics and are particularly vulnerable to climate-driven changes in sea temperature, sea ice extent, and prey availability.
On the theory-practice gap in the environmental realm: perspectives from and for diverse environmental professionals
This study examined the theory-practice gap in environmental decision-making, bringing together experts across landscape planning, conservation science, and environmental sociology to characterize its causes and identify practical recommendations for bridging scientific knowledge with real-world environmental management.
The future of ocean plastics: designing diverse collaboration frameworks
This paper drew on an international workshop of early career ocean professionals to propose diverse collaboration frameworks for stakeholder engagement in ocean plastic pollution research, emphasizing inclusive, cross-disciplinary approaches to addressing marine plastic challenges.
Editorial: Marine Pollution - Emerging Issues and Challenges
This editorial introduces a research collection on emerging marine pollution issues, covering microplastics, chemical contaminants, and their biological impacts, and highlights the need for interdisciplinary approaches to address the growing diversity and geographic spread of pollutants entering ocean ecosystems.
‘COVID waste’ and social media as method: an archaeology of personal protective equipment and its contribution to policy
This study argues that discarded personal protective equipment from the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes a novel archaeological record of contemporary environmental pollution, and proposes that archaeologists using social media analysis can contribute meaningful insights to sustainable waste management policy.
Food for all: designing sustainable and secure future seafood systems
This study examined how to design sustainable and secure future seafood systems capable of feeding a growing global population, integrating ecological, social, and economic dimensions of seafood production. The authors identified microplastic contamination of marine food chains as one of multiple threats to seafood system sustainability and security.