Beach litter - Median number of single use plastics (SUP) related items normalized per 100m & to 1 survey - EU-MSFD monitoring 2001/2023 v2025

This visualization product displays the single use plastics (SUP) related plastic items abundance of marine macro-litter (> 2.5cm) per beach per year from Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) monitoring surveys.

EMODnet Chemistry included the collection of marine litter in its 3rd phase. Since the beginning of 2018, data of beach litter have been gathered and processed in the EMODnet Chemistry Marine Litter Database (MLDB).

The harmonization of all the data has been the most challenging task considering the heterogeneity of the data sources, sampling protocols and reference lists used on a European scale.

Preliminary processings were necessary to harmonize all the data:

- Exclusion of OSPAR 1000 protocol: in order to follow the approach of OSPAR that it is not including these data anymore in the monitoring;

- Selection of MSFD surveys only (exclusion of other monitoring, cleaning and research operations);

- Exclusion of beaches without coordinates;

- Selection of SUP related items only. The list of selected items is attached to this metadata. This list was created using EU Marine Beach Litter Baselines, the European Threshold Value for Macro Litter on Coastlines and the Joint list of litter categories for marine macro-litter monitoring from JRC (these three documents are attached to this metadata). The selection was adapted to the Joint list of litter categories SUP identification and therefore contains some differences with the selection made for previously published versions of this product;

- Normalization of survey lengths to 100m & 1 survey / year: in some case, the survey length was not exactly 100m, so in order to be able to compare the abundance of litter from different beaches a normalization is applied using this formula:

Number of SUP items of the survey (normalized by 100 m) = Number of SUP related items of the survey x (100 / survey length)

Then, this normalized number of¨SUP related items is summed to obtain the total normalized number of SUP related items for each survey. Finally, the median abundance of SUP related items for each beach and year is calculated from these normalized abundances of SUP related items per survey.

Sometimes the survey length was null or equal to 0. Assuming that the MSFD protocol has been applied, the length has been set at 100m in these cases.

Percentiles 50, 75, 95 & 99 have been calculated taking into account SUP related plastic items from MSFD data for all years.

More information is available in the attached documents.

Warning: the absence of data on the map does not necessarily mean that they do not exist, but that no information has been entered in the Marine Litter Database for this area.

Alternate title: bl_singleuse_monitoring

Date ( Creation ): 2025-02-21T00:00:00

Edition: 1.0

Identifier: DOI:10.13120/ef8b672a-a118-4fa5-8095-2bdf24ccbfb4

Credit: EMODnet Chemistry

Point of contact

No information provided.

Point of contact

No information provided.

Resource provider

IFREMER / IDM / SISMER - Scientific Information Systems for the SEA

IFREMER Centre de Bretagne ZI Pointe du diable CS 10070 , PLOUZANE , 29280 , France

+33 (0)2 98.22.49.16
+33 (0)2 98.22.46.44
http://www.ifremer.fr/sismer/

Resource provider

Ifremer / VIGIES (Information Valuation Service for Integrated Management and Monitoring)

Rue de l'Ile d'Yeu BP 1105 , NANTES CEDEX 03 , 44311 , France

+33 (02 40.37.40.00
+33 (0)2 40.37.40.01
https://wwz.ifremer.fr/Recherche-Technologie/Departements-scientifiques/Departement-Oceanographie-et-Dynamique-des-Ecosystemes/VIGIES

Resource provider

National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS, Division of Oceanography

Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/c , Sgonico (Trieste) , 34010 , Italy

http://www.ogs.trieste.it/

Custodian

Ifremer, VIGIES (Information Valuation Service for Integrated Management and Monitoring)

Rue de l'Ile d'Yeu BP 1105 , NANTES CEDEX 03 , 44311 , France

+33 (02 40.37.40.00
+33 (0)2 40.37.40.01
https://wwz.ifremer.fr/Recherche/Departements-scientifiques/Departement-Oceanographie-et-Dynamique-des-Ecosystemes/VIGIES

Custodian

IFREMER, SISMER, Scientific Information Systems for the SEA

IFREMER Centre de Bretagne ZI Pointe du diable CS 10070 , PLOUZANE , 29280 , France

+33 (0)2 98.22.49.16
+33 (0)2 98.22.46.44
http://data.ifremer.fr/SISMER

Originator

Aarhus University,Danish Centre for Environment and Energy

Frederiksborgvej 399 Postboks 358 , Roskilde , DK_4000 , Denmark

http://dce.au.dk/en/

Originator

Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience

Ny Munkegade 116 , Aarhus , DK-8000 , Denmark

+45 8715 0000
+45 8715 4326
http://bios.au.dk/en/

Originator

AKTI Project and Research Centre

95 Kyrenias, Platy Aglantzias , Nicosia , 2113 , Cyprus

+35722458485
http://www.akti.org.cy

Originator

ARPA Calabria

Via Lungomare, Loc. Mosca (zona Giovino-Porto) , Catanzaro Lido , 88063 , Italy

http://www.arpacal.it

Originator

ARPA Emilia-Romagna, Struttura Oceanografica Daphne

Centro Ricerche Marine Viale Vespucci 2 , Cesenatico , 47042 , Italy

http://www.arpa.emr.it/Daphne/index.asp

Originator

ARPA Liguria

Via Bombrini 8 , Genova , 16149 , Italy

+3901064371
https://www.arpal.gov.it/

Originator

Bastia Golo Mediterranea Permanent Centre for Environmental Initiatives

Provence Logis de Montesoro - Bât. I 45 - BP 154 , Bastia , 20200 , France

https://www.umarinu.com/

Originator

Black Sea Basin Directorate

33 Alexander Diakovich street , Varna , 9000 , Bulgaria

++359 52 631447
++359 52 631448
https://www.bsbd.org/?URI=

Originator

Camargue Regional Nature Park

Mas du pont de Rousty, RD 570 , Arles , 13200 , France

http://www.parc-camargue.fr

Originator

Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection

Wawelska 52/54 , Warszawa , 00-922 , Poland

+48-22-369-22-08
http://gios.gov.pl

Originator

Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Division of Marine Biology and Ecology

101 Vithleem Street , Nicosia , 2033 , Cyprus

+357-22807807
+357-22775955
http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/dfmr/dfmr.nsf/index_en/index_en?OpenDocument

Originator

Environment and Resources Authority

Hexagon House , Marsa , MRS 1441 , Malta

(+356) 2292 3500
http://era.org.mt

Originator

EUCC, The Coastal Union Germany

Organisation Headquarters: Poststraße 6 , Rostock-Warnemünde , 18119 , Germany

+49 (0)381-5196420
+49 (0)381-5197211
https://www.eucc-d.de/home.html

Originator

Explore & Preserve

220 rue Saint-Nicolas, Les vieux Salins , Hyères , 83400 , France

https://www.facebook.com/explorepreserve

Originator

Foundation for Environmental Education, Latvia

Lapu str. 17, 2nd floor , Riga , LV-1002 , Latvia

+371 67225112
http://www.videsfonds.lv

Originator

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography

46.7 km Athinon-Souniou Av. P.O.Box 712 , Anavyssos , 19013 , Greece

+30-22910-76452. -76460
+30-22910-76347
https://www.hcmr.gr/

Originator

Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia

Dunajska 156 , Ljubljana , 1000 , Slovenia

+386(0)14775300
http://www.izvrs.si/?lang=en

Originator

Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries

Setaliste Ivana Mestrovica 63 P.O.BOX 500 , SPLIT , 21000 , Croatia

+385 21 408000/8011
+385 21 358650

Originator

Jordsand Association

Bornkampsweg 35 , Ahrensburg , 22926 , Germany

+49 04102-32656
+49 04102-31983

Originator

Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association

Turku , 20100 , Finland

02 274 5500
https://www.pidasaaristosiistina.fi/

Originator

Keep the Estonian Sea Tidy Association

Pirita tee 17, Tallinn 11911 , Tallinn , 11911 , Estonia

+372 5176019
http://hem.ee/

Originator

KIMO Denmark

Bytoften 2 , Varde , 6800 , Denmark

Originator

KIMO International Secretariat

Shetland Islands Council, 8 North Ness Business Park , Lerwick , ZE1 0LZ , United Kingdom

http://www.kimointernational.org/about-us/mission-statement/

Originator

Marineland association

306 avenue Mozart , Antibes , 6600 , France

https://www.marineland.fr

Originator

Marine Natural Park of Cape Corsica and Agriate

Résidence 5ème Avenue, rue Paratojo , Bastia , 20200 , France

https://parc-marin-cap-corse-agriate.fr/

Originator

Marine Research Institute of Klaipeda University

Universiteto ave. 17 , Klaipėda , LT-92294 , Lithuania

+370 46 398846
+370 46 398845
http://apc.ku.lt/en/

Originator

Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development

Kyrristou str., 12 , Athens , 105 56 , Greece

+30 2103247490
+30 2103317127
http://mio-ecsde.org/

Originator

Mer-Terre

21 Rue Montgrand , MARSEILLE , 13006 , France

+33 (0)9 86 78 79 02
http://mer-terre.org/

Originator

National Agricultural Research Foundation, Fisheries Research Institute

Nea Peramos , Kavala , 64007 , Greece

http://www.fishri.gr

Originator

National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa"

300 Mamaia Blvd. , Constanta , 900581 , Romania

40 241 543288
40 241 831274
http://www.rmri.ro

Originator

National Institute of Chemistry

Hajdrihova 19 , Ljubljana , 1000 , Slovenia

+386 1 4760498
+386 1 4760300
https://www.ki.si/en

Originator

National Park Authority Vorpommern

Im Forst 5 , Born , 18375 , Germany

+49 038234-502-0
+49 038234-502-24
http://www.nationalpark-vorpommersche-boddenlandschaft.de/

Originator

Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany

Charitéstraße 3 , Berlin , 10117 , Germany

+49 0302849840
+49 0302849842000
https://www.nabu.de/

Originator

Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union, Marine Conservation Office

Muehlenstr. 53 , Stralsund , 18439 , Germany

+49 (0) 30-284984-1631

Originator

Non-governmental environmental organization "Mare Nostrum"

16, Bogdan Voda str. , Constanta , Romania

+40 241 612422
https://www.marenostrum.ro/

Originator

Office of Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park

Schlossgarten 1 , Toenning , 25832 , Germany

+49 48 61616 - 0
http://cwss.www.de/TMAP/Data-Unit/Data.html

Originator

Portuguese Environment Agency

Rua da Murgueira 9, Apartado 7585, Zambujal, Alfragide , Amadora , 2610-124 , Portugal

+351 214 728 200
+351 214 717 194
http://apambiente.pt/

Originator

Regional School "Windland" Altenkirchen

Schulstraße 1 , Altenkirchen , 18556 , Germany

+49 038391/216
+49 038391/439854
http://windland-schule.de/

Originator

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences

Vautierstraat 29 , Brussels , 1000 , Belgium

+32 2 627 42 11
http://www.naturalsciences.be/

Originator

Southeast Rügen Biosphere Reserve Office

Circus 1 , Putbus , 18581 , Germany

+49 038301 / 8829-0
+49 038301 / 8829-50
https://www.biosphaerenreservat-suedostruegen.de/de/das_amt

Originator

State Agency for Environment, Nature and Geology, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Landesamt fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie, Goldberger Strasse 12 , Guestrow , 18273 , Germany

++49 3843 / 777 - 0
++49 3843 / 777 - 106
http://www.lung.mv-regierung.de

Originator

State Office for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Areas of Schleswig Holstein

Hamburger Chaussee 25 , Flintbek , 24220 , Germany

+49-4347 704-0
+49-4347 704-102

Originator

Thau Basin Permanent Centre for Environmental Initiatives

60 boulevard Victor Hugo , Frontignan , 34110 , France

https://www.cpiebassindethau.fr

Originator

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Haraldsgade 53 , Copenhagen Ø , 2100 , Denmark

+45 72 54 40 00
https://eng.mst.dk/

Originator

The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation

Rosterigränd 4 , Stockholm , 117 61 , Sweden

46 (0)8 505 263 00
https://www.hsr.se/english

Originator

The North Sea Foundation

Mariahoek 16 , Utrecht , WC2H 9JQ , Netherlands

+31(0)30 2340016
https://www.noordzee.nl/contact/

Originator

Treanbeg Marine

Newport , Ireland

http://treanbeg.com/

Originator

University of Patras, Department of Geology, Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography

University campus, 26504, Rio , Patras , 265 00 , Greece

+30-2610-997646
http://www.gaiaocean.geology.upatras.gr/marine_geology/index_engl.htm

Originator

Aquacaux

70 chemin de Saint-Andrieux , Octeville-sur-Mer , 76930 , France

+33(0)2 35 46 04 97
https://www.aquacaux.fr/

Originator

Association Of The Defense Of The Eastern Littoral Environment

Maison de la vie associativeRue du 11 Novembre 1918 , Dunkerque , 59140 , France

http://assoadele.over-blog.fr/

Originator

Biodiversity Objectives

22 rue du Docteur Gilbert , Pont-L'Abbé-D'Arnoult , 17250 , France

http://www.objectifs-biodiversites.com/

Originator

Birdlife France

Les Fonderies Royales8 rue du Docteur PujosCS 90263 , Rochefort Cedex , 17305 , France

+33(0)5 46 82 12 34
https://www.lpo.fr/

Originator

Center for marine research, Rudjer Boskovic Institute

G. Paliaga 5 , Rovinj , 52210 , Croatia

+385 52 804 700
+385 52 804 780
https://www.irb.hr/Istrazivanja/Zavodi/Centar-za-istrazivanje-mora

Originator

Centre for Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution

715 rue Alain Colas

CS 41836

, BREST CEDEX 2 , 29218 , France

+33(0)2 98 33 10 10
+33(0)2 98 44 91 38
http://wwz.cedre.fr/

Originator

Bretagne Vivante

19 rue de Gouesnou , Brest , 29200 , France

+33(0)2 98 49 07 18
https://www.bretagne-vivante.org/

Originator

Community Of Municipalities Of Belle-Île-En-Mer

56 rue Alexis DananHaute Boulogne , Le Palais , 56360 , France

+33(0)2 97 31 83 04
https://www.ccbi.fr/

Originator

Community Of Municipalities Of Ré Island

3 rue du Père Ignace , Saint-Martin-de-Ré , 17410 , France

+33(0)5 46 09 00 97
https://cdciledere.fr/

Originator

Directorate for Coast and Sea Sustainability. Ministry for Ecological Transition

Plaza San Juan de la Cruz s/n , Madrid , 28071 , Spain

+34 91 597 63 44
+34 91 597 59 07
https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/costas/temas/default.aspx

Originator

Eden 62

2 rue ClaudeBP 113 , Desvres , 62240 , France

+33(0)3 21 32 13 74
https://eden62.fr/

Originator

Estuary Associative Groupe

Rue de Louza , Talmont-Saint-Hilaire , 85440 , France

+33(0)2 51 20 74 85
https://estuaire.net/

Originator

Friends Of Haven Coast

2 rue Louis Perier , Agon-Coutainville , 50230 , France

+33(0)2 35 46 04 97
http://lesamisdelacotedeshavres.fr/

Originator

Guilvinec Public Maritime High School

Avenue Jos QuiniouBP 32 , Treffiagat , 29730 , France

+33(0)2 98 58 96 00
https://lycee-maritime-guilvinec.bzh/

Originator

Landes Coast Joint Association

23 rue Victor Hugo , Mont-de-Marsan , 40025 , France

+33(0)5 58 05 40 40

Originator

Marine Natural Park Of Arcachon Basin

4 rue Copernic , Le Teich , 33470 , France

+33 (0)5 56 22 06 86
https://parc-marin-bassin-arcachon.fr/

Originator

Marine Natural Park Of Gironde Estuary And Pertuis Sea

93 rue de la République , Rochefort , 17300 , France

https://parc-marin-gironde-pertuis.fr/

Originator

Marine Natural Park Of Iroise

23 rue Radio Conquet , Le Conquet , 29217 , France

+33 (0)2 98 44 17 00
https://parc-marin-iroise.fr/

Originator

Marine Natural Park of Lion Gulf

2 impasse Charlemagne , Argelès-sur-Mer , 66700 , France

+33 (0)7 85 71 38 99
https://parc-marin-golfe-lion.fr/

Originator

Municipality Of Hendaye

Place de la RépubliqueBP 60150 , Hendaye Cedex , 64701 , France

+33(0)5 59 48 23 23
https://www.hendaye.fr/fr/

Originator

Municipality Of Sables-D'Olonne

Mairie des Sables d'OlonneCS 2184221 place du Poilu de France , Les Sables d'Olonne , 85118 , France

+33(0)2 51 23 16 00
https://www.lessablesdolonne.fr/

Originator

Municipality Of Yeu Island

11 quai de la Mairie , L'Île d'Yeu , 85350 , France

+33(0)2 51 59 45 45
https://mairie.ile-yeu.fr/

Originator

Natural Reserve Of Moeze-Oleron

Route de plaisance , Saint-Froult , 17780 , France

+33(0)7 68 24 70 23
https://www.reserve-moeze-oleron.fr/

Originator

Natural Reserve Of Saint-Brieuc Bay

Site de l'étoile , Hillion , 22120 , France

+33(0)2 96 32 31 40
https://www.reservebaiedesaintbrieuc.com/

Originator

Natural Reserve Of Talbert Sillon

48 rue du Sillon de Talbert , Pleubian , 22610 , France

+33(0)2 96 16 54 67
https://www.reserve-sillondetalbert.bzh/

Originator

Natural Reserve Of The Seven Islands

Les Fonderies Royales8 rue du Docteur PujosCS 90263 , Rochefort Cedex , 17305 , France

+33(0)5 46 82 12 34
https://www.lpo.fr/sites-naturels/reserve-naturelle-des-sept-iles

Originator

Permanent Center For Environment Initiatives Maritime Flanders

Rue Jean Delvallez , Zuydcoote , 59123 , France

+33(0)3 28 26 86 76
https://www.cpieflandremaritime.fr/

Originator

Picardy Estuaries And Opal Sea Marine Park

Chemin de la WarenneEcault , Saint-Etienne-au-Mont , 62360 , France

https://parc-marin-epmo.fr/

Originator

Permanent Center For Environment Initiatives Cotentin

30 rue d'hippodromeBP 42 , Lessay , 50430 , France

+33(0)2 33 46 37 06
https://www.cpiecotentin.com/

Originator

Surfrider Foundation Europe

33 Allée du Moura, 64200 Biarritz, France , Biarritz , France

https://surfrider.eu/en/organization/

Originator

Territory Environment Ocean

15 rue Alfred Kastler , La Rochelle , 17000 , France

+33(0)6 17 70 54 39
https://www.teo-la-rochelle.org/

Originator

Veolia

Veolia Eau CGE - Région Centre Ouest 6 rue Nathalie Sarraute TSA 20527 , Nantes Cedex 2 , 44205 , France

+33(0)3 21 32 13 74
https://www.service.eau.veolia.fr/home.html

Originator

Permanent Center For Environment Initiatives Medoc

15 bis route de Soulac , Le Verdon-sur-Mer , 33123 , France

+33(0)5 56 09 65 57
https://curuma-cpiemedoc.jimdofree.com/

Originator

Permanent Center For Environment Initiatives Orne Valley

Boulevard maritime , Sallenelles , 14121 , France

+33(0)2 31 78 71 06
https://www.cpievdo.fr/

Thèmes Sextant ( Theme )

/Human Activities/Pollution

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 ( Theme )

Oceanographic geographical features

Parameter Discovery Vocabulary (P02) ( parameter )

SeaVoX salt and fresh water body gazetteer ( reference-geographical-area )

Keywords ( Theme )

EMODnet Chemistry

Matrix Categories ( parameter )

sediment

EMODnet Chemistry chemical groups ( parameter )

Marine litter

Ocean Hackathon - City and challenge ( Place )

/Boulogne-sur-Mer/BOL02
/Boulogne-sur-Mer/BOL04
/Boulogne-sur-Mer/BOL06
/Bournemouth/BOR01
/La Rochelle/LAR01
/Peniche/PEN01
/Boulogne-sur-Mer
/Bournemouth
/Brest
/Brest/BRE10
/Cherbourg
/La Rochelle
/Peniche
/Plymouth
/Toulon

Use limitation: CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Access constraints: unrestricted

Use constraints: Other restrictions

Other constraints: Usage is subject to mandatory citation: "This resource was generated in the framework of EMODnet Chemistry, under the support of DG MARE Call for Tender EASME/EMFF/2020/3.1.11/European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) - Lot 5 - Chemistry".

Spatial representation type: Vector

Metadata language: eng

Topic category

Oceans

Description: bounding box

Begin date: 2001-01-01

End date: 2023-12-24

Vertical extent

Minimum value: 0

Maximum value: 0.0

Vertical CRS

http://spatialreference.org/ref/epsg/5714/

Reference system identifier: EPSG / WGS 84 (EPSG:4326)

Geometric object type: Point

Distribution format

OnLine resource: bl_singleuse_monitoring ( OGC:WMS )
Beach litter - EU-MSFD monitoring - Median number of single use plastics (SUP) related items normalized per 100m & to 1 survey

OnLine resource: Description of the layer's fields ( WWW:LINK )
Description of the layer's fields

OnLine resource: Direct Download ( WWW:DOWNLOAD )
Direct Download

OnLine resource: EMODnet Map Viewer ( WWW:LINK )
EMODnet Map Viewer

OnLine resource: Visualization products for beach litter data ( WWW:LINK )
Methodologies applied to create the maps

OnLine resource: List of selected items ( WWW:LINK )
List of selected items

OnLine resource: EU Threshold Value for Macro Litter on Coastlines ( WWW:LINK )
EU Threshold Value for Macro Litter on Coastlines

OnLine resource: EU Marine Beach Litter Baselines ( WWW:LINK )
EU Marine Beach Litter Baselines

OnLine resource: Marine litter database document ( WWW:LINK )
Marine litter database document

OnLine resource: Joint list of litter categories for marine macro-litter monitoring ( WWW:LINK )
Joint list of litter categories for marine macro-litter monitoring

OnLine resource: Digital Object Identifier (DOI) ( DOI )
Data Access and Citation

Hierarchy level: Series

Conformance result

Date ( Publication ): 2010-12-08

Explanation: See the referenced specification

Statement: The original datasets can be searched and downloaded from EMODnet Chemistry Chemistry CDI Data and Discovery Access Service: https://cdi-chemistry.seadatanet.org/search

File identifier: ef8b672a-a118-4fa5-8095-2bdf24ccbfb4 XML

Metadata language: en

Character set: UTF8

Hierarchy level: Series

Hierarchy level name: Product record

Date stamp: 2025-04-24T14:40:37.635114Z

Metadata standard name: ISO 19115:2003/19139 - EMODNET - SDN

Metadata standard version: 1.0

Point of contact

EMODnet Chemistry -

http://www.emodnet.eu/chemistry

Overviews

Spatial extent

Provided by

Associated resources

Not available

Simple

Point of contact

Point of contact

Vertical extent

Conformance result

Overviews

Spatial extent

Keywords

Provided by

Associated resources