Assoc. Prof. Dr. Natalija Špeh, in co-authorship with Prof. Dr. Robert Lončarić (University of Zadar), published an original scientific article in the journal Coasts titled “Marine Macro-Plastics Litter Features and Their Relation to the Geographical Settings of the Selected Adriatic Islands, Croatia (2018–2023)”. (“Odlaganje plastičnih makro odpadkov na obalo in njihova povezanost z geografskimi značilnostmi izbranih jadranskih otokov, Hrvaška (2018–2023)”)
Marine and coastal litter (ML) represents a significant burden for islands, including those in the Adriatic Sea, despite their remoteness from the mainland and sparse population. The study hypothesized that natural characteristics of islands influence the distribution of ML. An integrated geographical approach was used, combining field survey results with the following aspects: (1) coastline orientation and bay density, (2) exposure and vegetation presence/biomass share, (3) island area and bay density, (4) bay openness and amount of ML, and
(5) bay openness and the proportion of plastic within ML. The study followed the direction of the East Adriatic Current and included the islands of Lošinj, Pašman, Vis, Kornati, and Elafiti, covering the period 2018–2023. The results showed that coastlines oriented NE–SE and W–E are more susceptible to ML accumulation, particularly in the southern Adriatic. A stronger correlation was observed between the density of polluted bays and the surface area of smaller islands (<10 km²) compared to larger ones (>10 km²). The findings highlight the urgent need for international cooperation and stricter measures to reduce marine litter pollution and to protect Adriatic marine ecosystems and the sustainability of local communities.
