​This symposium aims for exchanges of views and to inform about the threat of plastic to ocean life and possible reactions.​ It will be held in Reykjavik (Iceland) on the 21–23 April 2020.

Recently there has been an increasing worldwide discussion about plastic which fragments slowly and pollutes the environment. It has been estimated that about 9 million tons of plastic have been produced since around 1950 and about 90% of this is still present in the environment. The problem is greater than anyone could comprehend only a few years ago. This has also led to demands from both the public and politicians about actions to mitigate the problems that it is causing.

The symposium will evaluate the present status of plastic pollution in Arctic and Subarctic waters and discuss:

• how extensive is the plastic pollution and of what nature?
• where from and how it is transported to or in arctic and subarctic?
• how breakdown processes are operating in the in arctic and subarctic?
• how the different groups and sizes of plastic are affecting organisms in the arctic and subarctic?
• which are the possible mitigation methods and how can they be put to force?