Measures to Preserve Coastal and Marine Protected Areas from Marine Litter in the Mediterranean Area

Marine litter poses a growing threat to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and their resources dueto debris accumulation on beaches, water column and seafloor, impacting their integrity andfunction. This problem is further exacerbated in the Mediterranean due to its semi-enclosednature, its densely populated coasts, the passage of 30% of the world's maritime traffic andtourism. A general overview of composition and sources of marine litter was given forMediterranean MPAs for the different environmental compartments, including the possiblepeculiarities of MPAs that might increase marine litter impacts. Moreover, methodologicalstandards specifically developed and currently available for monitoring marine litter in MPAswere analyzed, with particular attention to specific constraints and already proposed managementmeasures and their effectiveness. Lastly, governance measures able to effectively manage marinelitter within MPAs were proposed to build the governance framework necessary to achievebiodiversity conservation objectives and social and economic development of MPAs