Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in the Coast of Tarragona, Spain: A Western Mediterranean Study

Researchers, including students as part of a citizen science project, collected and analyzed water and sand samples along the Tarragona coast of Spain, finding that tiny microplastics under 3mm dominated sea water samples and that plastic pellets — called nurdles — made up over half the anthropogenic waste by weight found in beach sand. The study highlights significant microplastic contamination in a Western Mediterranean coastal zone.

2023 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Microplastics levels, size, morphology and composition in marine water, sediments and sand beaches. Case study of Tarragona coast (western Mediterranean)

Researchers measured microplastic levels, sizes, shapes, and polymer types in coastal water, sediment, and beach sand along the Tarragona coast of the western Mediterranean, finding widespread contamination associated with nearby industrial facilities and a major petrochemical complex.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Beached microplastics in barcelonas shorelines

Researchers surveyed beached microplastics along Barcelona's shorelines to characterize the types, abundance, and distribution of plastic particles accumulating on urban Mediterranean beaches, contributing data to the growing body of evidence on coastal microplastic pollution in densely populated areas.

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

Paddle surfing for science on microplastic pollution: a successful citizen science initiative

Researchers used paddle surfers as citizen scientists to collect microplastic samples from near-shore coastal waters in the Mediterranean Sea, filling a gap in data from areas close to the coastline. The study demonstrates how citizen science can expand microplastic monitoring to locations that are difficult to access with conventional research vessels.

2021 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Beached microplastics in barcelonas shorelines

Researchers characterized beached microplastics along Barcelona's shorelines, assessing abundance, morphology, color, and polymer composition of particles accumulating on urban Mediterranean beaches. The study contributed to understanding how coastal urbanization and high plastic production rates affect microplastic deposition in a densely populated shoreline environment.

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

Microplastic distribution in surface sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf

Researchers found microplastic contamination in coastal sediments along the Spanish Mediterranean continental shelf between Algeciras and Barcelona, with densities ranging from below detection limits to 1,380 particles per kilogram dry weight, predominantly fibers and fragments.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 103 citations
Article Tier 2

The sampling and analysis of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic: Development of a citizen science approach

This study designed, developed, and tested a citizen science approach to microplastic and mesoplastic data collection on coastal beaches to address scale and coverage limitations of traditional research methods. Results showed non-expert participants could collect comparable data to researchers, expanding monitoring capacity across undersampled coastlines.

2024 Journal of Coastal Conservation 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Citizen Science for Assessment of Microplastics on Beaches: A Case Study in Mexico

Researchers used a citizen science approach involving 26 volunteers to assess microplastic abundance and type on Mexican beaches, providing broad geographic coverage at lower cost than traditional monitoring. Participants used standardized materials and training to collect and identify microplastics, generating a representative database that also raised public awareness of coastal plastic pollution.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Mediterranean Sea: Deposition in coastal shallow sediments, spatial variation and preferential grain size

Researchers sampled Mediterranean coastal shallow sediments and found microplastics throughout, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting land-based inputs and showing that coastal sediments are a significant regional reservoir for plastic debris.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 617 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic detectives: a citizen-science project reveals large variation in meso- and microplastic pollution along German coastlines

A citizen science project recruited volunteers to sample meso- and microplastics along German Baltic and North Sea coastlines, achieving spatial coverage far beyond what scientific teams alone could accomplish. Large variation in plastic pollution was found across sites, with some areas showing unexpectedly high concentrations linked to local sources and ocean circulation patterns.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The Surfing for Science citizen science project: 5 years monitoring floating microplastics in the nearshore

Researchers reported five years of citizen science microplastic monitoring data from the Surfing for Science project, in which trained surfers and paddlers towed specially designed manta trawls in nearshore waters along the northern and northeastern Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands to track floating microplastic abundance and origin.

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

Using citizen science to understand floating plastic debris distribution and abundance: A case study from the North Cornish coast (United Kingdom).

This citizen science study used a standardized methodology to monitor floating plastic debris off the Cornish coast of the UK, finding microplastic concentrations comparable to or higher than other European coastal regions. The study demonstrates that citizen science can generate useful, standardized data on plastic pollution in coastal waters.

2023 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastic pollution along the North Catalan coast: distribution and impacts

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution distribution and impacts along the North Catalan coast, examining vulnerable habitats including Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows, sandy bottoms, and pelagic ecosystems to assess threats to marine biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services.

2025 QRU Quaderns de Recerca en Urbanisme
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers investigated the distribution and characterization of microplastics in coastal surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea as part of the MICROPLASMED project, examining the relationship between microplastic pollution levels and the composition of marine microbiomes as potential biological indicators. Surface water samples were collected across Mediterranean sites to characterize microplastic abundance and assess how varying pollution levels influence microbial community diversity and abundance.

2024 Florence Research (University of Florence)
Article Tier 2

Presence, Spatial Distribution, and Characteristics of Microplastics in Beach Sediments Along the Northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean Coast

Researchers surveyed fourteen beaches along the northwestern Moroccan Mediterranean coast and found microplastics in every sediment sample, averaging about 59 particles per kilogram of dry sand. Fibers were the dominant shape at nearly 78%, with tourism, fishing, and wastewater discharges identified as the most likely pollution sources. The findings indicate moderate but widespread microplastic contamination along this coastline.

2025 Water 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance, morphology and chemical composition of microplastics in sand and sediments from a protected coastal area: The Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain)

Microplastics were found throughout sand and sediments of the Mar Menor lagoon in southeastern Spain, a protected coastal wetland, with concentrations and polymer types varying by location and depth. The study documents that even legally protected coastal habitats are not shielded from microplastic contamination, raising concerns for the lagoon's fragile ecosystem.

2019 Environmental Pollution 157 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal variation and ecological risk assessment of microplastics along the touristic beaches of a mediterranean coast transect (Valencia province, East Spain)

Researchers sampled microplastics from seven tourist beaches along Spain's Valencia coast in both winter and summer and found contamination levels nearly five times higher during the summer tourism season. Fibers were the most common type of microplastic, and polyethylene and halogenated polystyrene from food packaging were the dominant polymers identified. The study raises questions about whether current beach cleaning practices are sufficient to address microplastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the Center of Mediterranean: Comparison of the Two Calabrian Coasts and Distribution from Coastal Areas to the Open Sea

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution along the Calabrian coastline in the central Mediterranean, finding higher concentrations on the Tyrrhenian coast than the Ionian coast and documenting how microplastics distribute from coastal areas into the open sea.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 50 citations
Article Tier 2

First full investigation of levels of microplastics on sandy beaches in Malta

This study conducted the first comprehensive survey of microplastic levels on sandy beaches in Malta, finding microplastics at all five sampled beaches including in protected coastal areas. The results establish baseline contamination levels for the central Mediterranean and document seasonal and spatial variability.

2017 OAR@UM (University of Malta) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Accuracy of a Simple Microplastics Investigation Method on Sandy Beaches

This study tested a simplified citizen science method for monitoring microplastic pollution on sandy beaches, evaluating its accuracy compared to standard research methods. Reliable citizen science approaches could dramatically expand the geographic coverage of microplastic monitoring beyond what professional researchers alone can achieve.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Floating microplastic loads in the nearshore revealed through citizen science

Researchers used citizen science manta trawl deployments across 124 transects in the NW Mediterranean to characterize floating microplastic loads in nearshore coastal waters, finding substantial plastic pollution concentrated close to shore where emissions are highest.

2022 Environmental Research Letters 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Approaches to understanding and monitoring sources, distribution, and fate of plastic waste generated on the Peruvian coast

Researchers established monitoring approaches for plastic waste sources, distribution, and fate along the Peruvian coast through the REMARCO Regional Citizen Science Programme, quantifying inputs from Lima and Callao, mapping pollution pathways from sources to marine environments, and building national capacity for microplastic monitoring in sandy beaches.

2025
Article Tier 2

The potential contribution of citizen science data in the study of coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distributions

Researchers analyzed citizen science data from the Big Microplastic Survey to assess the potential contribution of volunteer-collected observations to understanding coastal microplastic and mesoplastic distribution patterns, evaluating data quality and spatial coverage relative to conventional scientific monitoring.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Floating microplastics in the nearshore of barcelona during 2023-2024

Researchers monitored floating microplastic concentrations in the nearshore surface waters of Barcelona during 2023-2024, contributing to understanding of microplastic distribution in one of the most heavily contaminated coastal zones of the Mediterranean. The study characterized particle abundance, size, shape, and polymer composition to assess temporal trends in near-shore contamination levels.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)