Multiple negative impacts of marine plastic pollution on tropical coastal ecosystem services, and human health and well-being

Plastic pollution does more than degrade ecosystems — it erodes human wellbeing. This study brings together Indonesian scientists, policymakers and practitioners to assess how plastics threaten ecosystem services and, in turn, health, livelihoods and social resilience. Focusing on mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass systems, it identifies where impacts are most severe and why. By explicitly linking ecology to human outcomes, the paper reframes marine plastic pollution as a planetary health issue demanding urgent, systemic action.