Note: This session will be held only in English.

​

Session chairs:

Filipa Bessa (MARE/UC)

Helena Veríssimo (MARE/UC)

Paula Sobral (MARE/FCUL)

​

Description:

Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental threat to marine and coastal ecosystems because of their ubiquity, high persistence and insufficient management.

Plastic debris has been detected worldwide in all major marine habitats, in sizes from microns to meters. In response, concerns about risks to marine species upon exposure to plastic and microplastics have increased, stimulating new research into the extent and consequences of (micro)plastic contamination in aquatic environments. Research also demonstrated the importance of hydrodynamics and the environmental impact of plastic at sea that include entanglement, ingestion, the rafting of species, social and economic harm.

 

Aims:

This session is dedicated to scientists, stakeholders, and managers to present and outline the current state of knowledge, share lessons-learned on techniques and challenges related with plastic pollution in the marine and coastal ecosystems and propose or discuss reduction measures, in the context of the Iberian Atlantic Margin.