TY - JOUR

T1 - Leverage points for addressing marine and coastal pollution

T2 - A review

AU - Riechers, Maraja

AU - Brunner, Benedikt P.

AU - Dajka, Jan Claas

AU - Dușe, Ioana A.

AU - Lübker, Hannah M.

AU - Manlosa, Aisa O.

AU - Sala, Juan Emilio

AU - Schaal, Tamara

AU - Weidlich, Sabine

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Stefan Hilser and Julius Rathgens for their methodological advice. This work was supported by the prolongation of the Leverage points project funded by Volkswagenstiftung and the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (Grant Number A112269 ). AOM was funded by a grant from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to Achim Schlüter and Anna-Katharina Hornidge. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors

PY - 2021/6/1

Y1 - 2021/6/1

N2 - Despite an increasing understanding of the issue of marine pollution, humanity continues on a largely unsustainable trajectory. This study aimed to identify and classify the range of scientific studies and interventions to address coastal and marine pollution. We reviewed 2417 scientific papers published between 2000 and 2018, 741 of which we analysed in depth. To classify pollution interventions, we applied the systems-oriented concept of leverage points, which focuses on places to intervene in complex systems to bring about systemic change. We found that pollution is largely studied as a technical problem and fewer studies engage with pollution as a systemic social-ecological issue. While recognising the importance of technical solutions, we highlight the need to focus on under-researched areas pertaining to the deeper drivers of pollution (e.g. institutions, values) which are needed to fundamentally alter system trajectories.

AB - Despite an increasing understanding of the issue of marine pollution, humanity continues on a largely unsustainable trajectory. This study aimed to identify and classify the range of scientific studies and interventions to address coastal and marine pollution. We reviewed 2417 scientific papers published between 2000 and 2018, 741 of which we analysed in depth. To classify pollution interventions, we applied the systems-oriented concept of leverage points, which focuses on places to intervene in complex systems to bring about systemic change. We found that pollution is largely studied as a technical problem and fewer studies engage with pollution as a systemic social-ecological issue. While recognising the importance of technical solutions, we highlight the need to focus on under-researched areas pertaining to the deeper drivers of pollution (e.g. institutions, values) which are needed to fundamentally alter system trajectories.

KW - Environmental planning

KW - Marine debris

KW - Marine litter

KW - Oil spills

KW - Plastics

KW - Social-ecological systems

KW - Sustainability transformations

KW - Environmental Monitoring

KW - Ecosystem

KW - Environmental Pollution

KW - Waste Products/analysis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107090979&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/b4987cae-6f91-31e6-962a-444d1dcb7755/

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112263

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112263

M3 - Scientific review articles

C2 - 33799146

AN - SCOPUS:85107090979

VL - 167

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

SN - 0025-326X

M1 - 112263

ER -