Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

International Marine Litter Research Unit

Overview

Organisation profile

Two decades of research

The team have worked extensively on the impacts of plastic pollution and the potential solutions. Collectively, the team have published over 130 papers on plastic pollution, spanning marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains and from the poles to the equator. 
 
Their research has influenced national and international policy as well as industrial practices. The societal and environmental benefits of this work have been recognised by multiple national and international awards, including the Queens Anniversary Prize, The Volvo Environment Prize, and the Blue Planet Prize.
 
Increasingly, the team are working with innovators and commercial organisations to evaluate the effectiveness of potential solutions along the supply chain, from product design through use to disposal, as well as the potential for remediation or contaminated habitats. 

Discovering microplastics

In 2004, Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS and his team were the first to show that microplastic particles have accumulated in oceans since the 1960s and are now globally present in our seas. 
 
Their work has shown that microplastic debris is now found in substantial quantities in remote locations such as the deep sea and the Arctic and that they are damaging to a range of marine organisms who ingest these pieces. 
 

Evidence to inform solutions in policy and industry

The team’s work has influenced policy worldwide and has advised governments and international organisations across the globe. They continue to provide the evidence that will underpin the most appropriate solutions to the problem of marine plastic pollution.
 

Marine Litter: are there solutions to this global environmental problem?

The University's Marine Institute research into marine plastics and their impact on the environment, over almost two decades, has resulted in numerous research findings of major importance, influencing national and international legislation. As well as demonstrating the impacts, the focus of the International Marine Litter Research Unit has progressively shifted towards solutions orientated approaches. 
 
Our brochure delves into more specific details of the world-leading research that our team continue to progress.

Research Areas

  • Plastic
  • Microplastic
  • Pollution
  • Impacts
  • Policy
  • Solutions
  • Interventions
  • Global Plastics Treaty

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
    SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  2. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  3. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  4. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where International Marine Litter Research Unit is active. These topic labels come from the works of this organisation's members. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
View full fingerprint

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Explore network further
View all 17 researchers
View all 213 research outputs