Scale, origin and spatial distribution of marine litter pollution in the Lithuanian coastal zone of the Baltic Sea

Abstract

The first attempt to investigate the marine litter pollution level of the Lithuanian coastal zone was carried out based on different marine litter monitoring methods and according to the lists of identifiable items. The results have proven that plastic is the dominant type of marine litter. It seems that tourism and fishery related marine litter occurrence do not significantly depend on seasonal variations. The outcome of the study will serve as basic information for future inventory of the character of marine pollution, provide the scientifically grounded limit value for Good Environmental Status (GES) assessment in the Lithuanian coastal zone, and will contribute for the enhancement of the ecological status of the south–eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea.