Plastic Pollution and Marine Conservation: Approaches to Protect Biodiversity and Marine Life provides comprehensive knowledge on the consequences of plastic waste in marine environments at different levels, ranging from ecological and biological, to social, economic and political. The book synthesizes historical information, gaps in current knowledge, and recent discoveries by illustrating the main stages that made plastics a global issue for ocean ecosystems and their wildlife. Written by international experts on marine pollution, marine biology, and management of environmental resources, this book explores the main topics of marine plastic pollution such as input quantification, polluting sources, ultimate fate, ecological consequences, and more. This an important resource for a wide audience, including marine conservationists, environmental managers, decision-makers, NGOs, private companies, and activists working to combat plastics in our seas and oceans.

Preface by Giuseppe Suaria 1. Marine plastics: What's wrong with them? Giuseppe Bonanno 2. Microplastics in seawater and sediments: Distribution and transport Mateja Grego, Manca Kovac Virsek and Oliver Bajt 3. Fate, transport and impact of plastic debris on plankton organisms Giuseppe Bonanno 4. Plastic impact on marine benthic organisms and food webs Valentina Pitacco, Martina Orlando-Bonaca and Carlo Giacomo Avio 5. Plastic impact on sharks and rays Lovrenc Lipej, Alessandro Acquavita, Nicola Bettoso and Francesco Cumani 6. Marine organisms as bioindicators of plastic pollution Martina Orlando-Bonaca, Carlo Giacomo Avio and Giuseppe Bonanno 7. Marine protected areas and plastic pollution Giuseppe Bonanno 8. Microplastics pollution: A thriller with many leading roles and an unknown ending Ana Rotter, Ernesta Grigalionyte-Bembic, Katja Klun and Rachel Tiller 9. Perspectives on marine plastics Giuseppe Bonanno