Guidance on Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas: a guidance document within the Common Implementation Strategy for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

The MSFD Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter was tasked to deliver guidance so that European Member States could initiate programmes for monitoring of Descriptor 10 of the MSFD. The present document provides the recommendations and information needed to commence the monitoring required for marine litter, including methodological protocols and categories of items to be used for the assessment of litter on the Beach, Water Column, Seafloor and Biota, including a special section on Microparticles. Published Final edition was done by Georg Hanke (co-chair, EC JRC), Stefanie Werner (co-chair, UBA), François Galgani (chair, IFREMER), Joana Mira Veiga and Maria Ferreira (EUCC). Authors: François Galgani (chair, IFREMER), Georg Hanke (co-chair, EC JRC), Stefanie Werner (co-chair, UBA), Lex Oosterbaan (Rijkswaterstaat and OSPAR), Per Nilsson (University of Gothenburg), David Fleet (Schleswig-Holstein Agency for Coastal Defence), Susan Kinsey (MCS, UK), Richard C. Thompson (Plymouth University), Jan van Franeker (IMARES), Thomais Vlachogianni (MIO-ECSDE), Michael Scoullos (University of Athens), Joana Mira Veiga (EUCC), Andreja Palatinus (Institute for Water, SI), Marco Matiddi (ISPRA), Thomas Maes (CEFAS), Samuli Korpinen (HELCOM), Ania Budziak (Project AWARE), Heather Leslie (IVM-VU), Jesus Gago (IEO, ES) and Gerd Liebezeit (Univ. Oldenburg) Refereed Current 14.1 Manual (incl. handbook, guide, cookbook etc) Standard Operating Procedure