Cleaner seas: reducing marine pollution

Abstract

Graphic abstract In the age of the Anthropocene, the ocean has typically been viewed as a sink for pollution. Pollution is varied, ranging from human-made plastics and pharmaceutical compounds, to human-altered abiotic factors, such as sediment and nutrient runoff. As global population, wealth and resource consumption continue to grow, so too does the amount of potential pollution produced. This presents us with a grand challenge which requires interdisciplinary knowledge to solve. There is sufficient data on the human health, social, economic, and environmental risks of marine pollution, resulting in increased awareness and motivation to address this global challenge, however a significant lag exists when implementing strategies to address this issue. This review draws upon the expertise of 17 experts from the fields of social sciences, marine science, visual arts, and Traditional and First Nations Knowledge Holders to present two futures; the Business-As-Usual, based on current trends and observations of growing marine pollution, and a More Sustainable Future, which imagines what our ocean could look like if we implemented current knowledge and technologies. We identify priority actions that governments, industry and consumers can implement at pollution sources, vectors and sinks, over the next decade to reduce marine pollution and steer us towards the More Sustainable Future. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11160-021-09674-8.

Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems

“…Decision making is often siloed within industries, such that cumulative effects – from other industries and drivers – are often inadequately considered in regulation (Link and Browman 2017 ; Stephenson et al 2019 ). This is especially critical in coastal zones, where the vast majority of marine activities occur, and where terrestrial and marine activities often interact to produce significant environmental impacts (Bax et al 2021 ; Willis et al 2021 , both this issue). However, siloed decision-making is also of increasing concern in offshore waters, where the blue economy is expanding (Novaglio et al 2021 ).…”

“…These topics are discussed in full in Farmery et al ( 2021 ), Bax et al ( 2021 ) and Novaglio et al ( 2021 ) in this issue. Increased pollution due to human activities is another key factor influencing our ability to conserve biodiversity and is extensively considered in Willis et al ( 2021 , this issue). Societal and institutional mechanisms that influence the fate of marine biodiversity, which we consider here only briefly, are explored in more detail elsewhere in this issue, and include ocean literacy Kelly et al ( 2021 ) and ocean governance Haas et al ( 2021 ), in addition to Indigenous rights, access and management Fischer et al ( 2021 ).…”

Self-rated health and perceived environmental quality in Brunei Darussalam: a cross-sectional study

“…53 However, land-based activities such as mining, agriculture, forestry, industrial activities, household consumption, river-based transportation and chemical industries can also be a major source of marine pollution. 54 Furthermore, residents who perceived living in areas with clean air were more likely to report good health. Our findings are consistent with earlier studies.…”

Empowering her guardians to nurture our Ocean’s future

“…The style of yarning that occurred over the Future Seas Workshop Week (Nov 2019), was a combination of collaborative and research topic yarns as described in Bessarab and Ng'andu (2010). The sessions included topics related to each of the Future Seas 2030 Project 'key challenges' such as: Blue Economy (Bax et al 2021, both this issue), Pollution (Willis et al 2021 this issue), Governance (Haas et al 2021, this issue), Food Security (Farmery et al 2020 this issue), and climate-driven species distribution (Melbourne-Thomas et al 2020, this issue) and more. These sessions were facilitated by co-author Tero Mustonen.…”