Unveiling Plastic Pollution in Oceans - Foresight Brief No. 018 August 2020

Marine plastic litter pollution is a global concern that threatens seas and the ocean, biodiversity, human health and economic activities such as tourism, fisheries and marine navigation/transportation. Plastics represent approximately 80% of marine litter and result from both land and sea-based human activities. Combating marine litter requires knowledge of sources, pathways, sinks and impacts, which calls for worldwide harmonized monitoring and assessment programmes to guide measures and assess their effectiveness.