Contents:
I – Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………
1. Introduction
2. Marine litter in the Med
2.1 Water circulation and litter
2.2 Biodegradation of plastics in the marine environment
3. Impact
3.1 Litter as an important vector for the transport of species
3.2 Ecological harm
3.3 Concentration and release of pollutants by marine litter
4. Legal instruments
5. Knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research
5.1 Definition of size classes
5.2 Harmonization of methods
5.3 Circulation
5.4 Biodegradability of plastics
5.5 Understanding the interactions between species and plastic
5.6 Risk assessment
5.7 Harm to biodiversity
5.8 Harm to indicator species
5.9 Harm: physical stress
5.10 Harm: bioaccumulation and toxicity
5.11 Harm: new habitats
5.12 Litter as vector for alien invasions?
6. Future directions for research and action
II – Workshop Communications
1. Plastic debris at sea – An overview
- Distribution, composition and abundance of marine litter in the Mediterranean and Black Seas
François Galgani ……………………
- Marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea: an oceanographic perspective
Enrico Zambianchi, Ilaria Iermano, Giuseppe Suaria and Stefano Aliani……………………
2. Degradation of plastics at sea
- Bacterial degradation of synthetic plastics
Claire Dussud and Jean-François Ghiglione…………………………………………
- Microbial biodegradation of synthetic plastic polymers: state of the art and perspectives from the BIOCLEAN project
Noura Raddadi, Lucia Giacomucci and Fabio Fava on behalf of the whole BIOCLEAN consortium……………………
- Surface properties of marine microplastics that affect their interaction with pollutants and microbes
Kalliopi N. Fotopoulou, John Vakros and Hrissi K. Karapanagioti………………
3. Impacts of plastics at sea
- Pathways of introduction of marine alien species in European waters and the Mediterranean – A possible undermined role of marine litter
Stelios Katsanevakis and Fabio Crocetta…………………………
- Marine plastic debris and colonization by bryozoans in the South Atlantic
David K.A. Barnes …………………………………
- Revising interactions of plastics with marine biota: evidence from the Mediterranean
Salud Deudero and Carme Alomar……………………
- Colonization by the benthic foraminifer Rosalina (Tretomphalus) concinna of Mediterranean drifting plastics
Frans J. Jorissen……………………
- The toxicity of nanoplastics to marine organisms
Nadia von Moos…………………………………………
- Microplastics in the marine environment – How can we identify potential risks?
Jörg Klasmeier, Christian Ehling, Dominique Remy and Elke Fries…………………………………………
- Plastic fragments on the surface of Mediterranean waters
Maria Luiza Pedrotti, Stéphane Bruzaud, Bruno Dumontet, Amanda Elineau, Stéphanie Petit, Yves Grohens, Pierre Voisin, Jean-Claude Crebassa and Gabriel Gorsky…………………………………………
- Microplastics – A never-ending story
Paula Sobral, Joana Antunes and João Frias…………………………………………
- The impact of macro and micro-plastics on Mediterranean large vertebrates: persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) substances, plastic additives and related toxicological effects
Maria Cristina Fossi, Matteo Baini, Tommaso Campani, Silvia Casini, Ilaria Caliani, Daniele Coppola, Letizia Marsili, Cristiana Guerranti and Cristina Panti…………………………………………
III – Bibliographic References …………………………………………………………
IV – List of Participants …………………………………………………………………