Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Attached Macroinvertebrates Inhabiting Marine Plastic Debris from the Beach and Port Areas of the Southern Sea of Korea

Researchers found that marine plastic debris collected from Korean beaches and ports hosts dozens of macroinvertebrate species, with fishing and aquaculture plastics supporting more species than land-origin packaging plastics, suggesting longer sea exposure and rougher material texture promote greater organism colonization.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative microbial communities in tidal flats sediment on Incheon, South Korea

The microbial communities in tidal flat sediments in South Korea were characterized and found to be highly diverse, playing important roles in coastal nutrient cycling. Understanding natural microbial communities in coastal sediments provides context for assessing how microplastic-associated microorganisms alter these ecosystems.

2018 The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, compositional characteristics, and historical pollution records of microplastics in tidal flats of South Korea

Researchers investigated spatial and vertical distributions of microplastics in tidal flat sediments along the west coast of South Korea, finding distinct patterns in abundance and polymer composition linked to proximity to urban centers and tidal hydrodynamics.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of macro - and microplastic on macrozoobenthos abundance in intertidal zone

This study assessed how macro- and microplastics affect the abundance of bottom-dwelling invertebrates in an intertidal zone, finding that plastic contamination is linked to reduced invertebrate diversity. The results highlight ecological impacts of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems that provide food resources for humans.

2018 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

The distribution and ecological effects of microplastics in an estuarine ecosystem

Researchers surveyed 22 intertidal sites and found that microplastic abundance, size, and diversity correlated with benthic microalgal communities and sediment biostabilization properties in an estuarine ecosystem.

2021 Environmental Pollution 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Factors Influencing the Spatial Variation of Microplastics on High-Tidal Coastal Beaches in Korea

This study analyzed how tide level, beach zone (upper, middle, lower), and sediment grain size influence the spatial distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches in a high-tidal coastal area. The results showed that microplastics accumulate unevenly across a beach cross-section and that tidal dynamics are a key factor controlling where they deposit.

2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 222 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the potential interaction between microplastic distribution and biodiversity richness along the coast of the Western Ionian Sea

Researchers surveyed microplastic distribution in Western Ionian Sea coastal waters alongside visual counts of marine biodiversity. Areas with higher microplastic concentrations showed associations with reduced species richness, providing early evidence that microplastic pollution may be linked to biodiversity loss in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.

2020 Use Siena air (University of Siena)
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics pollution on the abundance and composition of interstitial meiofauna

Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in beach sediments negatively affected the abundance and community composition of meiofauna at lower intertidal levels on urban Colombian beaches, with microplastics explaining 39% of community variation in the most heavily impacted zone.

2023 Revista de Biología Tropical 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Relationship between Submerged Marine Debris and Macrobenthic Fauna in Jeju Island, South Korea

This South Korean study examined how submerged marine debris on the seafloor around Jeju Island affects bottom-dwelling animal communities. The presence and type of debris — particularly fishing nets — altered species composition and biomass in both sandy and rocky habitats. The findings underscore that marine plastic litter restructures benthic ecosystems in ways that vary with both debris type and sediment environment.

2023 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 6 citations
Article Tier 2

What influences microplastic trapping in coastal marshes? Exploring vegetation diversity as a driver of accumulation

This study explored how the diversity of plant species in coastal marshes influences how many microplastics get trapped there, finding that vegetation composition is a meaningful driver of plastic accumulation. Coastal marshes act as natural filters catching plastic before it reaches the open ocean, so understanding what makes them more or less effective has implications for both conservation and plastic pollution management.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

What influences microplastic trapping in coastal marshes? Exploring vegetation diversity as a driver of accumulation

This study explored how the diversity of plant species in coastal marshes influences how many microplastics get trapped there, finding that vegetation composition is a meaningful driver of plastic accumulation. Coastal marshes act as natural filters catching plastic before it reaches the open ocean, so understanding what makes them more or less effective has implications for both conservation and plastic pollution management.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in marine sediments from coastal and offshore in South Korea

Researchers conducted an intensive survey of microplastic levels and distribution in marine sediments from coastal areas, recognizing the seafloor as the ultimate repository for plastic particles. Microplastic concentrations in sediments were highest near urban and industrial coastlines, with fibers and fragments as the most common types.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

A close relationship between microplastic contamination and coastal area use pattern

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination across three coastal areas in Korea characterized by different human activities: urban, aquafarm, and rural. They found that microplastic abundance and polymer composition varied by area, with diverse polymers at urban sites, polystyrene dominant near aquaculture operations, and polypropylene prevalent at rural fishing sites. The study demonstrates a close relationship between coastal land use patterns and the characteristics of microplastic pollution in both abiotic and biotic samples.

2019 Water Research 242 citations
Article Tier 2

Are bacterial communities associated with microplastics influenced by marine habitats?

A three-month field exposure experiment on a Chinese island compared bacterial communities on polyethylene and PET microplastics in three marine habitats (intertidal, supralittoral, seawater), finding that habitat significantly shaped community structure but polymer type had a weaker influence.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Are seafloor habitats influencing the distribution of microplastics in coastal sediments of a Marine Protected Area?

Researchers examined whether seafloor habitat type influences microplastic distribution in coastal sediments of the Cabrera Marine National Park, finding that habitat structure and hydrodynamic conditions at protected sites affect microplastic accumulation patterns even within a marine protected area.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The geographical and seasonal effects on the composition of marine microplastic and its microbial communities: The case study of Israel and Portugal

Researchers compared microplastic-associated microbial communities in marine environments of Israel and Portugal, finding that both geography and season significantly influence the composition of the plastisphere and its associated bacterial species.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Conditions of Mainland China’s Island Ecosystems and Associated Influencing Factors: Integrated Assessment of 42 Typical Island Ecosystems

Researchers assessed the ecological condition of 42 representative islands along China's coast using a framework integrating environmental quality, biological structure, and landscape patterns, finding that island ecosystem health varied significantly by size, location, and human land use intensity.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The relation of sediment texture to macro- and microplastic abundance in intertidal zone

Researchers analyzed the relationship between sediment grain size and microplastic accumulation in an intertidal zone, finding that finer-grained sediments tend to accumulate more plastic particles. Understanding this relationship helps identify which coastal areas are at greatest risk from microplastic contamination.

2018 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes of marine environments due to human activities in coastal waters of Korea.

A comprehensive review of four representative Korean bays documented how human activities—land reclamation, industrial development, and agricultural runoff—have altered marine environments, increased organic pollution, and changed biota communities. The review provided a regional baseline for understanding human-driven coastal degradation in Korea.

2025 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Baseline Study on Microplastic Distribution in the Open Surface Waters of the Korean Southwest Sea

Researchers collected surface seawater south of Jeju Island in South Korea and found an average microplastic abundance of 0.46 particles per liter, with polyethylene as the dominant polymer and fragments as the most common shape, establishing a baseline for this understudied ocean region.

2023 Water 17 citations