Abstract
Plastic debris has become the main component of marine litter in the
Moroccan Mediterranean due to the massive consumption of plastic and poor plastic
waste management. In Morocco, plastic pollution has been a subject of increasing
environmental concern in the last few years. This literature review was conducted to
collect current data on plastic pollution in the Moroccan Mediterranean, considering
the presence of marine debris as well as macroplastics and microplastics in different
compartments. Our study shows that, until now, very few studies have been carried out
and there is a lack of information, especially on the prevalence of plastic debris in the
water environment, sea floor, and aquatic animals. In general, plastic is the most
predominant waste on the beaches of the Moroccan Mediterranean, always contributing
to more than 50% of the total composition of the waste encountered. Based on the
records, tourism, recreational activities, and fishing are one of the main sources of
plastic accumulation in the Moroccan Mediterranean. This was due to a lack of
awareness among beach users. Awareness and behavior change is key to minimizing
plastic waste on Morocco's beaches and coasts. In addition, all aspects of waste
management must be improved. The beaches of the Moroccan Mediterranean have also
been contaminated by microplastics. A significant positive correlation was also
observed between human population density and industrial activity on microplastic
abundance. Microplastic has only been found in a few commercial fish species and sea
turtles, but more work will be needed in the future.