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 due to debris accumulation on beaches, water column and seafloor, impacting their integrity and function. This problem is further exacerbated in the Mediterranean due to its semi-enclosed nature, its densely populated coasts, the passage of 30% of the world's maritime traffic and tourism. A general overview of composition and sources of marine litter was given for Mediterranean MPAs for the different environmental compartments, including the possible peculiarities of MPAs that might increase marine litter impacts. Moreover, methodological standards specifically developed and currently available for monitoring marine litter in MPAs were analyzed, with particular attention to specific constraints and already proposed management measures and their effectiveness. Lastly, governance measures able to effectively manage marine litter within MPAs were proposed to build the governance framework necessary to achieve biodiversity conservation objectives and social and economic development of MPAs