RT Journal Article
T1 Marine litter sampling across the Western Mediterranean: Critical bibliographic review and dataset compilation
A1 Ramos-Alcántara, Jorge
A1 Soto-Navarro, Francisco Javier
A1 Jordá, Javier
K1 Contaminación marina
K1 Plásticos - Residuos
K1 Mediterráneo
AB Marine litter (ML) is a widespread pollutant, even reaching remote oceanic regions; however, research in this field began only recently and did not gain momentum in the Mediterranean until the 2010s. Information on the presence of ML in the basin is mainly based on observations campaigns, which are dispersed in space and time, and rarely use the same measurement protocols. This inconsistency hinders comparison and the attainment of a synoptic picture of the actual debris distribution in a basin with such complex hydrodynamics.This work has two distinct parts. Firstly, an exhaustive bibliographic review of ML sampling in the Western Mediterranean is presented, covering all marine compartments (surface, water column, seafloor, beaches, rivers and coastal lagoons), all sampling methods, and all ML size classes. The aim is to critically assess the scope and limitations of available data.Second, FAIR-compliant data on floating plastic concentrations from surface net trawls was compiled and harmonised, sourced from scientific publications and the EMODnet database. Data from 863 trawl samples are collected, offering an observational overview of plastic distribution at the sea surface in the Western Mediterranean.We conclude that the shortcomings detected in ML sampling protocols are a major limiting factor for the study of the physical behaviour of these pollutants. Nevertheless, through a detailed analysis and an appropriate homogenisation of the available observations, we present a first picture of the ubiquitous but heterogeneous presence of floating plastics in a semi-enclosed basin such as the Mediterranean Sea.
PB Elsevier
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/45302
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/45302
LA eng
NO Jorge Ramos-Alcántara, Javier Soto-Navarro, Gabriel Jordà, Marine litter sampling across the Western Mediterranean: Critical bibliographic review and dataset compilation, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 224, 2026, 119123, ISSN 0025-326X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.119123.
NO Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 15 abr 2026