IV Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin

The Symposium on the Atlantic Iberian Margin, with well-established tradition in the scientific community, is successfully organised every three years since 1994.The symposium aims to bring together researchers from different countries to build up knowledge on the Iberian Atlantic coast. After the success of the meeting held in Malaga in 2015, it is in this context and spirit that the IX Edition of MIA will return to Portugal, to the University of Coimbra. In this university, UNESCO World Heritage Site, historical achievements driven by ocean navigation, intersect with the creation and diffusion of scientific knowledge. Coimbra and its nearby region are a unique place to observe the geological records of the evolution of the Atlantic Ocean.

The IX Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin (MIA 2018): From the Coastal Zone to the Deep Ocean – Opportunities and Challenges, will take place on 4-7 September 2018, in Coimbra, organised by the Departments of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences and Civil Engineering from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) and the IATV – Institute of the Environment Technology and Life, for which everyone is invited.

Thematic session: Plastic pollution in marine and coastal environments: sources, effects and mitigation strategies

​Description:

Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental threat to marine and coastal ecosystems because of their ubiquity, high persistence and insufficient management.

Plastic debris has been detected worldwide in all major marine habitats, in sizes from microns to meters. In response, concerns about risks to marine species upon exposure to plastic and microplastics have increased, stimulating new research into the extent and consequences of (micro)plastic contamination in aquatic environments. Research also demonstrated the importance of hydrodynamics and the environmental impact of plastic at sea that include entanglement, ingestion, the rafting of species, social and economic harm.

Aims:

This session is dedicated to scientists, stakeholders, and managers to present and outline the current state of knowledge, share lessons-learned on techniques and challenges related with plastic pollution in the marine and coastal ecosystems and propose or discuss reduction measures, in the context of the Iberian Atlantic Margin.

Session chairs:

Filipa Bessa (MARE/UC)

Helena Veríssimo (MARE/UC)

Paula Sobral (MARE/FCUL)