Enhancing the science–policy interface: A conceptual framework for marine microplastic pollution

Abstract

Microplastics have profound and wide-ranging consequences for our oceans, including impacts on marine organisms, the carbon sink function and food webs. The accumulation of marine microplastics threatens to push certain populations and systems past irreversible tipping points with potentially catastrophic effects. Scientists and policymakers must work together to understand these risks and ensure that our production and consumption of plastic, the drivers of increasing concentrations of microplastics in our oceans, stay within a safe operating zone. This article reviews current sources and trends of marine microplastic pollution, outlines the theoretical basis for tipping points, summarises the mechanisms by which potential marine microplastic tipping points are at risk and proposes a conceptual framework to address the issue with a specific emphasis on an effective science–policy interface dedicated to marine microplastic pollution.