Lucy C.M. Omeyer, Emily M. Duncan, Kornrawee Aiemsomboon, Nicola Beaumont, Sujaree Bureekul, Bin Cao, Luis R. Carrasco, Suchana Chavanich, James R. Clark, Muhammad R. Cordova, Fay Couceiro, Simon M. Cragg, Neil Dickson, Pierre Failler, Gianluca Ferraro, Stephen Fletcher, Jenny Fong, Alex T. Ford, Tony Gutierrez, Fauziah Shahul Hamid, Jan G. Hiddink, Pham T. Hoa, Sophie I. Holland, Lowenna Jones, Nia H. Jones, Heather Koldewey, Federico M. Lauro, Charlotte Lee, Matt Lewis, Danny Marks, Sabine Matallana-Surget, Claudia G. Mayorga-Adame, John McGeehan, Lauren F. Messer, Laura Michie, Michelle A. Miller, Zeeda F. Mohamad, Nur Hazimah Mohamed Nor, Moritz Müller, Simon P. Neill, Sarah E. Nelms, Deo Florence L. Onda, Joyce J.L. Ong, Agamuthu Pariatamby, Sui C. Phang, Richard Quilliam, Peter E. Robins, Maria Salta, Aida Sartimbul, Shiori Shakuto, Martin W. Skov, Evelyn B. Taboada, Peter A. Todd, Tai Chong Toh, Suresh Valiyaveettil, Voranop Viyakarn, Passorn Wonnapinij, Louisa E. Wood, Clara L.X. Yong, Brendan J. Godley
Southeast Asia is considered to have some of the highest levels of marine plastic pollution in the world. It is therefore vitally important to increase our understanding of the impacts and risks of plastic pollution to marine ecosystems and the essential services they provide to support the development of mitigation measures in the region. An interdisciplinary, international network of experts (Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam) set a research agenda for marine plastic pollution in the region, synthesizing current knowledge and highlighting areas for further research in Southeast Asia. Using an inductive method, 21 research questions emerged under five non-predefined key themes, grouping them according to which: (1) characterise marine plastic pollution in Southeast Asia; (2) explore its movement and fate across the region; (3) describe the biological and chemical modifications marine plastic pollution undergoes; (4) detail its environmental, social, and economic impacts; and, finally, (5) target regional policies and possible solutions. Questions relating to these research priority areas highlight the importance of better understanding the fate of marine plastic pollution, its degradation, and the impacts and risks it can generate across communities and different ecosystem services. Knowledge of these aspects will help support actions which currently suffer from transboundary problems, lack of responsibility, and inaction to tackle the issue from its point source in the region. Being profoundly affected by marine plastic pollution, Southeast Asian countries provide an opportunity to test the effectiveness of innovative and socially inclusive changes in marine plastic governance, as well as both high and low-tech solutions, which can offer insights and actionable models to the rest of the world. © 2022 The Authors
Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom; Institute of Marine Sciences - Okeanos, University of the Azores, Rua Professor Doutor Frederico Machado 4, Horta, 9901-862, Portugal; Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand; Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Devon, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, United Kingdom; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore; Aquatic Resources Research Institute Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand; Research Centre for Oceanography, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Jalan Pasir Putih 1, Ancol Timur, Jakarta, 14430, Indonesia; Research Centre for Oceanography, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jalan Pasir Putih 1, Ancol Timur, Jakarta, 14430, Indonesia; School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Faculty of Technology, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, Portsmouth, PO1 3AH, United Kingdom; Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, Portsmouth, PO4 9LY, United Kingdom; Centre for Enzyme Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, United Kingdom; School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom; Centre for Blue Governance, Department of Economics and Finance, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, Portsmouth, PO1 3DE, United Kingdom; School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, Portsmouth, PO1 3DE, United Kingdom; UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Centre for Research in Waste Management, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; School of Biotechnology, International University, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Hinh City, Viet Nam; Department of Politics and International Relations, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom; Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom; Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore; Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, United Kingdom; School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Dublin, Ireland; National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool, L3 5DA, United Kingdom; Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching, 93350, Malaysia; The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Velasquez St., Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Jeffrey Sachs Centre on Sustainable Development, Sunway University, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 47500, Malaysia; The Nature Conservancy, London Office, 5 Chancery Lane Suite 403, London, WC2A 1LG, United Kingdom; School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, United Kingdom; Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Marine Resources Exploration and Management (MEXMA) Research Group, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Anthropology, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Social Sciences Building, 2006, NSW, Australia; BioProcess Engineering and Research Centre, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines; Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore; College of Alice & Peter Tan, National University of Singapore, 8 College Avenue East, 138615, Singapore; Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, 117543, Singapore; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand; Centre for Advanced Studies in Tropical Natural Resources, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand; Omics Center for Agriculture, Bioresources, Food and Health, Kasetsart University (OmiKU), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand