Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Global Ocean Governance and Ecological Civilization

This study examines global ocean governance frameworks and argues that achieving 'ecological civilization' requires coordinated international responses to mounting threats including climate change, ocean acidification, microplastic pollution, and overexploitation of marine resources.

2023
Article Tier 2

Valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services: a useful way to manage and conserve marine resources?

This review examines whether assigning monetary values to marine biodiversity and ecosystem services effectively supports ocean conservation and management. The authors find that while ecosystem valuation is an established approach on land, its use in marine environments lags behind due to the practical challenges of ocean research and complex governance structures.

2016 Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 51 citations
Article Tier 2

A 50-year reflection on global ocean governance for protection of the marine environment

This review chapter reflects on five decades of global ocean governance, finding that despite increasing international agreements, longstanding threats like pollution and overfishing remain unresolved while new challenges such as marine plastic litter and illegal fishing have emerged, requiring urgent and innovative governance responses.

2023 Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks
Article Tier 2

Toward ecosystem-based deep-sea governance: a review of global approaches and China’s participation

This study reviews the current state of international deep-sea governance, finding that existing frameworks are fragmented and address only a limited range of issues. The researchers evaluate China's participation in deep-sea governance and propose pathways for enhanced ecosystem-based management approaches.

2025 Marine Development 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Saving our oceans: Why marine life needs us

This review examined the major threats to marine ecosystems including overfishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction, and argued that protecting ocean biodiversity is essential for the ecosystem services that billions of people depend on for food, oxygen, and climate stability.

2025 International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research
Article Tier 2

Ocean governance for human health and the role of the social sciences

This paper examines the interdependence of ocean health and human health, arguing that effective ocean governance must involve the social sciences to address the complex human behaviors and institutions driving marine degradation. Managing plastic pollution entering the ocean requires governance frameworks that integrate scientific and social knowledge.

2018 The Lancet Planetary Health 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The right incentives enable ocean sustainability successes and provide hope for the future

This paper examined cases where ocean management and conservation efforts have succeeded, arguing that the right incentive structures and governance frameworks can drive meaningful improvements in ocean sustainability.

2016 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 143 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance

This paper frames plastic pollution of the world's seas and oceans as a defining contemporary challenge in ocean stewardship, reviewing the scale of the problem and arguing for urgent policy and management responses.

2018 Nature Communications 492 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine Protected Areas as Tools for Ocean Sustainability

This review argues that marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential tools for addressing the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, but only if they are well-designed, effectively managed, and embedded within broader ocean governance frameworks. The authors call for expanding global MPA coverage and improving enforcement.

2023 Sustainable development goals series 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Re-thinking human interactions with the oceans

This review examines the interconnected ways human activities are damaging marine ecosystems, including through chemical and microbial pollution, harmful algal blooms, and loss of biodiversity. The authors argue that despite international agreements and treaties, ocean-related risks continue to escalate due to a lack of political commitment. The study calls for new integrated approaches to balance human wellbeing with ocean sustainability.

2024 Royal Society Open Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Critical Perspectives on the New Situation of Global Ocean Governance

This paper examines the evolving landscape of global ocean governance, focusing on how climate change, the pandemic, and geopolitical shifts have created new challenges. Researchers discuss the growing role of non-state actors and the impact of emerging technologies on ocean policy. The study highlights the complexity of coordinating international cooperation on issues like marine pollution, deep-sea mining, and biodiversity protection.

2023 Sustainability 22 citations
Article Tier 2

On the Challenge of Plastic Wastes and Litter in Oceans: Some Policy Reflections

This policy analysis discusses the growing crisis of plastic litter in the world's oceans, reviewing international agreements and national policies aimed at reducing ocean plastic pollution. The authors argue that current policy efforts fall far short of what is needed and propose stronger global governance frameworks.

2021 Environmental Policy and Law
Article Tier 2

Climate Change, Ocean Pollution, and Acidification: The Application of Integrated Management Strategies within the Framework of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science

This study reviewed the impacts of climate change, ocean pollution, and acidification on marine ecosystems within the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030. Integrated management strategies combining scientific research, technological innovation, and international governance were identified as essential for addressing these interconnected threats to ocean health.

2024 International Journal of Marine Science
Article Tier 2

International legal system: Marine pollution

This review analyzes the international legal framework governing marine pollution, examining the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments while identifying gaps and limitations in current regulations for protecting marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.

2023 SHS Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

A bibliometric review on marine ecological environment governance: Development and prospects (1990–2022)

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of 32 years of marine environmental governance research, finding a surge in publications since 2013 with growing focus on microplastic pollution in marine sediments, ecosystem restoration in protected areas, and the development of comprehensive global strategies to protect ocean health.

2024 Environmental and Sustainability Indicators 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Blunt Instruments, Glass Slippers, and Unicorns: Ocean Governance in a Climate-Changed Gulf of Maine

This paper is not directly about microplastics; it argues that the fragmented, agency-by-agency governance structure of US ocean management is poorly suited to addressing cumulative stressors in a rapidly changing Gulf of Maine and calls for comprehensive, ecosystem-based ocean governance reform.

2023 Maine policy review
Article Tier 2

Plastic Debris and the Marine Environment: Integrating Transformational Strategies in Achieving a Sustainable Environment

This review examines the sources, environmental pathways, and ecological impacts of marine plastic debris, and discusses transformational strategies including policy intervention, improved waste management, and alternative materials to achieve sustainable ocean management.

2024 Apple Academic Press eBooks
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Nexus and Utilities Between Regional and Global Ocean Governance Architecture

This paper analyzes the relationship between regional and global ocean governance frameworks, examining how they have co-evolved and how power dynamics shape their interaction. Effective ocean governance is critical for regulating plastic pollution, which requires coordinated action across national and international levels.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean Solutions That Benefit People, Nature and the Economy

This report examines ocean-based solutions that can simultaneously benefit people, nature, and the economy. The study balances hope and concern while presenting concrete examples of sustainable approaches to ocean management and conservation.

2023 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable blue economy: Opportunities and challenges.

This review assessed the concept of a sustainable blue economy, covering the economic potential of ocean resources alongside challenges including climate change, ocean acidification, plastic pollution, and governance gaps that threaten to undermine sustainable ocean use.

2024 Journal of biosciences
Article Tier 2

Governance Strategies for Mitigating Microplastic Pollution in the Marine Environment: A Review

This review assessed the sources, spread, and impacts of microplastic pollution in marine environments and evaluated existing governance strategies for addressing the problem. Researchers found significant gaps in management approaches, including limited community involvement in monitoring and a lack of standardized mitigation strategies for coastal areas. The study calls for stronger policy interventions, more citizen science initiatives, and coordinated international efforts to reduce microplastic pollution in the oceans.

2021 Microplastics 146 citations
Article Tier 2

The Environmental Rule of Law for Oceans

This chapter surveys the legal principles and frameworks that govern ocean protection, including rules addressing microplastic pollution, noise, and chemical contamination. It argues that effective ocean governance requires strengthening the rule of environmental law at both national and international levels.

2023 Cambridge University Press eBooks 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Legal Approaches to Reduce Plastic Marine Pollution: Challenges and Global Governance

This review examined legal approaches to reducing marine plastic pollution and found that while international frameworks like the International Maritime Organization's MARPOL Annex V and regional agreements provide useful foundations, significant governance gaps and enforcement challenges remain in addressing the global scale of marine plastic contamination.

2021 ANNALS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PERSPECTIVE 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Eight urgent, fundamental and simultaneous steps needed to restore ocean health, and the consequences for humanity and the planet of inaction or delay

This perspective article identified eight urgent simultaneous actions needed to restore ocean health—including reducing emissions, overfishing, and pollution—and argued that delay or partial action risks irreversible ratchet-like degradation of ocean systems. The authors emphasize that ocean restoration directly supports human wellbeing and that the window for effective intervention is narrowing.

2019 Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 78 citations