Plastic waste and marine wildlife
Annually between 5 and 13 million tonnes of plastic are lost from land to sea and end up as what is known as ‘the plastic soup’. Marine birds and other wildlife accidentally ingest plastic litter or become entangled. Wageningen Marine Research investigates the impact of plastic debris on the marine environment and its wildlife. Our institute is founder of a permanent monitoring program of plastics in stomachs of Northern Fulmars in the North Sea. Results are used by Dutch and European authorities to evaluate and plan measures to reduce marine litter.
News from previous years
News 2022
News 2021
News 2021
News 2020
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Detonation cord in the stomach of a fulmar
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PhD thesis defence Susanne Kühn
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Fulmar report for the Netherlands 2019
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British fulmars confirm decrease in plastic debris
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Transfer of toxic additives from plastic to fulmars
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Volunteers are invaluable in fulmar research
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Global overview of plastic ingestion by marine wildlife
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Edwin Foekema and Jan van Franeker on regional television (Omrop Fryslân) about plastic pellets in the Wadden sea
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Industrial plastic pellets on Dutch television
News 2019
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Jan Andries van Franeker at De Buitendienst about plastic in fulmars
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Northern Fulmar and plastics – monitoring report 2018
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Fulmar mortuary
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Famous Fulmar
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Monitoring plastics in seabird stomachs
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Chemicals from ingested plastics
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Guillemot mortality after the MSC Zoe – the importance of long-term studies
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Again biobeads on the Dutch coast
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Paraffin and palm oil on the beach and in stomachs of Northern Fulmars
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Wadden Sea island Schiermonnikoog two weeks after the container incident with MSC Zoe
News 2018
News 2017
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BBC Two 'Autumnwatch' about fulmars and plastic waste
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A little less plastics in fulmar stomachs
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Video: extreme example of plastic in bird's stomach
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Sea-scented plastic revisited
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Trends in balloon litter on beaches in the Netherlands
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Harm from marine litter?
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Potassium hydroxide: suitable for isolating plastic particles from marine organisms?
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Sky 'Ocean Rescue' campaign on plastic pollution
News 2016
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Less plastic in stomachs of fulmars
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If birds were humans
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Sea-scented plastic? Unrealistic!
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Researcher presents plastic in birds in TV program 'F*** Off With Your Environment'
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Seabird plastic monitoring in Ireland
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Dubious honour for the Gannet
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Research plastic in Northern fulmars is a global example
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Feathers with a story
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Where is all our plastic?
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Willem Wever: why is plastic so bad for birds?
News 2015
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Plastic litter and fur seals in Antarctica
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How much microplastic floats around in the plastic soup?
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New review of the effects of plastic litter on marine wildlife
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Impacts from plastic debris – more than individual harm
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Stranded humpback whale ‘Johanna’ had microplastics in her stomach
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Seabirds, oceanic gyres and plastic pollution
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A closer look at plastics from fulmar stomachs
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Plastics in fulmars from the high arctic
News 2014
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New report: Monitoring plastics in Northern fulmars
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News from Nature: Jan Andries van Franeker on plastics in seabirds
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IMARES and the national BeachCleanUp
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Unusual quantity of plastic debris on Dutch Wadden Sea Islands
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Kassa Groen TV: Jan Andries van Franeker about plastic in Northern Fulmars
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Research plastic litter in Dutch TV programmes for the youth
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Crows in trouble by plastics
News 2013
News 2012
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Plastic litter in seal stomachs
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Convention on Biological Diversity
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Research IMARES in film 'Plastic in the sea'
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Fulmar EcoQO monitoring goes Pacific
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‘Ocean Hope’ exhibition on Norwegian beach
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New European Report on impacts of plastic waste
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Fulmar book Faroe Islands
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New results from international pellet watch
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Fulmar autopsy on Dutch television
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More plastics in the oceans than thought
News 2011
News 2010
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OSPAR Ministers conference in Norway
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Plastic soup in The Netherlands
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New Fulmar monitoring report
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Marine litter in the EU
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Charles Moore, discoverer of the 'Plastic Continent', visits Wageningen UR
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Plastic rubbish blights on site BBC News
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Documentary: 'Addicted to plastic'
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Ocean pollution mapped through lost industrial plastic granules
News 2009
News 2008
Publications
Articles
(in journals, news, magazines, and newspapers)
2019
- Van Aarsen, A. 2019. De jacht op nurdles. Haarlems Dagblad 30 april 2019
- De Kort, N. 2019. Op iedere honderd meter strand liggen twaalf ballonnen. NRC Next 12 maart 2019 (online 11 mrt)
2018
2017
- Speksnijder, C (2017) 'Tsunami in Japan veroorzaakte ongekende wereldreis van zeedieren en afval'. Volkskrant, 29 september 2017
- Kleis, R. (2017) Plastic jojoot in de oceanen. Resource 16 augustus 2017
- Straver, F. (2017) Plastic kan via plankton koers zetten naar mensenmond. Trouw 21 april 2017: 9
- Speksnijder, C. (2017) Plasticsoep in Noordelijke IJszee. De Volkskrant 20 April 2017: 27
- Groen, R. 2017 Wetenschap: Jan Andries van Franeker strijdt tegen plastic zwerfvuil. VANDAAG 2(1): 28-29
2016
2015
- Qualité de l'eau et contaminations dans l'Estuaire de la Seine: Les macrodéchets - mei 2015 - GIP Seine-AVAL
- Tierwelt leidet an Plastikabfällen: FTIR-Analyse von Polymeren in Mägen von Eissturmvögeln - LABO 2015-4
- Animal kingdom suffering from plastic wastes - FTIR analysis of polymers in fulmars - Shimadzu News 1/2015
2014
- De plastic soep - Van Franeker, J.A. 2014. pp 63-67 in: Oceanen, BWM Cahier 33(2) Biowetenschappen en Maatschappij, Den Haag, 88pp.
- Plastic en eendenmosselen langs de kust - Van Franeker, J.A. 2014. Op de Kop 19(3): 12-13 (Mededelingenblad van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Natuurhistorische Vereniging (KNNV), afdeling Den Helder en omstreken)
2013
- Wij eten plastic soep - NRC 8 juni 2013
- Plastic as a Carrier of POPs to Aquatic Organisms: A Model Analysis - Environmental Science & Technology (2013)
- Meerjungfrauentränen - Elementanalytik von Kunststoffen in der Nahrungskette - Labo 08/2013
2012
- Meeresvögel beschleunigen Anreicherung von Mikroplastik - Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau 65
- Hengelen in een plastic soep - 1 mei 2012 - Spits
- Meer plastic afval in zee dan gedacht - 27 apr 2012 - Trouw
2011
- Seabird ingestion of plastic litter still exceeding policy targets - Science for Environment Policy 2011. European Commission DG ENV News Alert Issue 264 (1 December 2011): 1.
- Fast alle Nordsee-Vögel haben Müll im Bauch -16 dec 2011 - Süd Deutsche
- Plastic in stormvogelmaag - Kinderen basisschool De Kariboe kijken hun ogen uit - 2 dec 2011 - Noord Hollands Dagblad
- Plastic soep komt op ons bord - okt 2011- Milieu nr. 6: pag. 8-11 Dit artikel is onderdeel van een aantal artikelen in het tijdschrift 'MILIEU' over hetzelfde onderwerp. De andere verschenen artikelen zijn:
- Zeevogels verspreiden dodelijk plastic over de hele wereld - 30 apr 2011 - Reformatorisch Dagblad
- Vogels poepen natuur vol plastic afval - 28 apr 2011 - AD
- Plastic zwerfvuil drama voor zeedieren - 29 mrt 2011 - Reformatorisch Dagblad
- 8 miljoen stuks plastic per dag - 28 mrt 2011 - Volkskrant
- Zeevogels verspreiden dodelijk plastic over hele wereld - 28 mrt 2011 - hnl
- Plastic. Het dieet van een zeevogel - 25 mrt 2011 - Metro
2010
- Olje-Norge Blokkerte boreforbud / Serverte Solheim sjofugl full av plast - 25 sep 2010 - Bergens Tidende
- Rosse Franjepoot Phalaropus fulicaria foerageert in plastic soep -18 aug 2010 - SULA
- Zee van plastic - 15 mei 2010 - VPRO-gids
- Aanpak 'plastic soep' vraagt om strengere regels - 5 mei 2010 - Staatscourant
- Plastic soep verzuipt de zee -16 apr 2010 - Spits
- Plastic soep is onverteerbaar - 10 apr 2010 - Reformatorisch Dagblad
- Zeilen op een zee van plastic - 26 mrt 2010 - De Gelderlander
- Charles Moore bezoekt Wageningen UR - 23 mrt 2010 - IMARES
- Plastic rubbish blights Atlantic Ocean - 24 feb 2010 - BBC News
- Chemische vervuiling van wereldzeeën in kaart gebracht door verloren industriële plastic korrels - 6 jan 2010 - Int. Pellet Watch
2009
- Zwerfvuil in de Noordzee - Klein afval, grote gevolgen - sep 2009 - De Levende Natuur
- Les Oceans malades du plastique - Science & Vie Nr 1103 (Aout 2009): 70-77
- Milieu Noordzee ontkomt niet aan wereldwijde zeevervuiling - 20 jul 2009 - NRC Handelsblad
- Dit zit in jouw maag - 9 jun 2009 - NRC Next
- Charles Moore, ontdekker plastic afvalberg in Nederland - apr 2009 - IMARES
- Stranding van Noordse Stormvogels begin januari 2009 - Sula
2008
Reports
2021
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Finders information Netherlands - 2020 : SNS Fulmar study report - Finders information_NL_7thBatch2020
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research -
Fulmar litter threshold value monitoring in the Netherlands : update 2020
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research report C068/21) -
SNS Fulmar study report: SKAGERRAK 2002-21
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research
2020
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Finders information Germany (OLD) : SNS Fulmar Study Report: FINDERSINFORMATION_GER_oldbatch
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research -
Finders information Netherlands (2019) : SNS Fulmar Study Report: FINDERSINFORMATION_NL_6THBATCH2019
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research -
Finders information United Kingdom (2019) : SNS Fulmar Study Report: FINDERSINFORMATION_UK_3rdBATCH2019
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research -
Fulmar Litter EcoQO monitoring in the Netherlands - update 2019
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research report C074/20) -
Meetrapport verzamelen van plastics van MSC Zoe: zeevogels, vissen, zeebodem, stranden : Beknopt verslag van werkzaamheden in 2019
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research rapport C009/20) -
Onderzoek naar plastic in magen van noordse stormvogels en andere zeevogels in relatie tot het verlies van MSC-ZOE containers in begin januari 2019
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research rapport C078/20) -
Using Northern Fulmars as an ecological monitor of marine litter in line with indicators set for MSFD descriptor 10 : Illustrated results with the: Annual/Interim Project Report for Period 2019
2019
2018
2016
2015
- Fulmar Litter EcoQO monitoring in the Netherlands - Update 2014 Van Franeker, J.A. IMARES rapport C123/15
- Impact of marine debris on Antarctic fur seals Arctocephalus gazella at Cape Shirreff: diet dependent ingestion and entanglement. Preliminary result - 2015
2014
- Plastic ingestion by Northern Fulmars, Fulmarus glacialis, in Svalbard and Iceland, and relationships between plastic ingestion and contaminant uptake. Trevail, A.M., Gabrielsen, G.W., Kühn, S., Bock, A. & Van Franeker, J.A. 2014. Norsk PolarInstitutt Kort rapport/ Brief Report Series 2014-029. (24pp)
- Fulmar Litter EcoQO monitoring in the Netherlands - Update 2012 and 2013 Van Franeker, J.A., S. Kühn, E.L. Bravo Rebolledo & A. Meijboom (2014) IMARES Report C122/14. IMARES, Texel. 56pp
2013
2011
2010
- Fulmar Litter EcoQO Monitoring in the Netherlands 1979-2008 in relation to EU Directive 000/59/EC on Port Reception Facilities mei 2010 - IMARES
- Marine Strategy Framework Directive - Task Group 10 Report Marine litter - april 2010 - SETAC Conferentie, Spanje
2009
2008
Publications
2019
2018
2017
- Van Franeker, J.A., Offereins, M. & Domis, M. 2017. Plastic soep en Stormvogels. NVOX 42 : 520-522. (Magazine voor het Onderwijs in Natuurwetenschappen; Dec.2017). https://www.nvon.nl/nvox
- Does DMS buildup really explain plastic ingestion by seabirds? A comment on Savoca et al. Gaia Dell’Ariccia, Richard A. Phillips, Jan A. van Franeker, Nicolas Gaidet, Paulo Catry, José P. Granadeiro, Peter G. Ryan, Francesco Bonadonna (2017) Science Advances
2016
- The use of potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution as a suitable approach to isolate plastics ingested by marine organisms. Kühn, S., Van Werven, B., Van Oyen, A., Meijboom, A., Bravo Rebolledo, E.L. & Van Franeker, J.A. 2016. Marine Pollution Bulletin (online)
- Quantifying ingested debris in marine megafauna: a review and recommendations for standardization. Provencher, J.F., Bond, A.L., Avery-Gomm, S., Borrelle, S.B., Bravo Rebolledo, E.L., Hammer, S., Kühn, S., Lavers, J.L., Mallory, M.L., Trevail, A. & Van Franeker, J.A. (2016) Analytical Methods (online)
2015
- Seabirds, gyres and global trends in plastic pollution. Van Franeker, J.A. & Law, K.L. 2015. Environmental Pollution 203: 89-96
- Microplastic in a macro filter feeder: Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae E. Besselinga, E.M. Foekema, J.A. Van Franeker, M.F. Leopold, S. Kühn, E.L. Bravo Rebolledo, E. Heße, L. Mielke, J. IJzer, P. Kamminga, A.A. Koelmans. Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Elevated levels of ingested plastic in a high Arctic seabird, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). Trevail, A.M., Gabrielsen, G.W., Kühn, S. & Van Franeker, J.A. 2015. Polar Biology
- Linking effects of anthropogenic debris to ecological impacts. Mark Anthony Browne, A. J. Underwood, M. G. Chapman, Rob Williams, Richard C. Thompson, Jan A. van Franeker. Proceedings Royal Society B 20142929 (11pp).
2014
- Monitoring Plastic Waste using FTIR Spectroscopy. Abstracts EUCMOS 2014 - aug 2014
- The OSPAR Ecological Quality Objective on plastics ingested by fulmars. Van Franeker, J.A.; & the SNS Fulmar Study Group 2014. International Marine Conservation Congress, Glasgow, Scotland 14-18 August 2014. Oral contribution SY71.1.
2013
2012
- Plastic ingestion by harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in The Netherlands. Bravo Rebolledo, E.L., Van Franeker, J.A., Jansen, O.E. & Brasseur, M.J.M. Marine Pollution Bulletin (2012 in press)
- Dietary variation in chick-feeding and self-provisioning Cape Petrel Daption capense and snow petrel Pagodroma nivea at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica Marine Ornithology 40: 81–87 (2012)
- Plastic ingestion by the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in Iceland. 2012 -article Marine Pollution Bulletin (in press, online)
2011
- Monitoring plastic ingestion by the northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis in the North Sea. 2011 - Environmental Pollution
- Van Franeker, J.A. & SNS Fulmar Study Group 2011. A standard protocol for monitoring marine debris using seabird stomach contents: the Fulmar EcoQO approach from the North Sea. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R-38: 116-120
- Van Franeker, J.A. 2011. Reshape and relocate: seabirds as transformers and transporters of microplastics. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R-38:278-280
- Van Franeker, J.A. & SNS Fulmar Study Group 2011. Chemicals in marine plastics and potential risks for a seabird like the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R-38: 415-418
- Marine Litter - Technical recommendations for the implementation of MSFD requirements 2011 - Joint Research Centre
- Plastic Debris in the Ocean. 17 feb 2011 - Chapter in UNEP Yearbook 2011
2009
- Monitoring the abundance of plastic debris in the marine environment. 2009 - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
- Foolish fulmars and their contribution to ecological quality. 2009 - abstract Proceedings of the International Research Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris
Posters and fact sheets
- Als vogels mensen waren
- If birds were humans
- Wenn Vögel Menschen wären
- Heavy metals in plastic, recycling and environmental aspects - 2015
- Plastic ingestion by harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in The Netherlands
- Gestrandet vor unserer Haustür: Plastikmüll in der Nordsee - Michael Otto Stiftung 2012 - Poster for Exhibition "Endstation Meer - Das Plastikmüllprojekt" in the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (MKG), Hamburg
- Inventory of the presence of plastics in the digestive tract of North. Sea fishes May 2011 - SETAC Milan
- Proposing Methodological standards for monitoring marine litter, in order to achieve good environmental status in the framework of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) April 2010 - SETAC Conferentie
- De Noordse Stormvogel: vuilnisvat van de Noordzee en graadmeter voor ecologische kwaliteit. 2010 - Noordzeedagen
Presentations
- Monitoring Plastic Waste Using FTIR Spectroscopy - Van Oyen, A., Van Franeker, J.A., Oppermann, U. & Egelkraut-Holthus, M. 2014 - p 68 in: Schmitt, M., Book of Abstracts EUCMOS 2014 Düsseldorf, Abstract EAS 3.1.
- A standard protocol for monitoring marine debris using seabird stomach contents: the Fulmar EcoQO approach from the North Sea - mrt 2011 - www.5imdc.org
- Reshape and relocate: Seabirds as transformers and transporters of microplastics mrt 2011 - www.5imdc.org
- Chemicals in marine plastics and potential risks for a seabird like the Northern Fulmar (Fullmarus glacialis) mrt 2011 - www.5imdc.org
Films
- Too Good To Waste - sep 2014 - Rotterdams Havenbedrijf
- Lille Hav, Hvad Nu? (Deense film - Kleine Zee, wat nu?) - nov 2013 - Deense documentaire van Chilbal Film over diverse bedreigingen van ons zeemilieu, waaronder plastic. Stuk over plastic begint op 46 min.
- Waterafval - Ocean Report - apr 2012 - Documentaire Surfrider Foundation (NL) - Andere taalversies
- Vuilvis project - Fishing for Litter - 9 feb 2012 - YouTube
- Any Waste Any Time - jan 2011 - Rotterdams Havenbedrijf
- Plastic Soup van de band PBII, 18 okt 2010 - Clip van de band PBII
- Addicted to Plastic - jan 2010 - Ian Connacher
- Afval aan Zee - jan 2010 - Melvin Tool
- Stormvogel EcoQO Workshop - feb 2009 - IMARES