Restricted Distribution IOC/SC-WESTPAC-XII/8.16 Bangkok, 4 March 2019 English only

INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION (of UNESCO) Twelfth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-XII) Manila, the Philippines, 2-5 April 2019

Item 5.3.1. of the Provisional Agenda

PROGRESS REPORT ON MARINE MICROPLASTIC RESEARCH AND MONITORING (MAY 2017–APRIL 2019)

(Unedited)

In accordance with Terms of Reference of IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific, the report is provided to facilitate the consideration by the Sub-Commission on the progress made on the WESTPAC project – Distribution, source, fate and impacts of marine microplastics in the WESTPAC (Asia Pacific region). The report presents a summary of the activities and results of OFS over the last intersessional period. The Sub-Commission is invited to consider its workplan for the next intersessional period.

IOC/SC-WESTPAC-XII/8.16 page 1

I. Program 1. Distribution, source, fate and impacts of marine microplastics in the WESTPAC (Asia Pacific region) II. Program objectives and expected outputs/outcomes

Investigation of sampling and analysis methodologies for microplastics in the WESTPAC (Asia Pacific region) Sampling methods for microplastics in the marine environment

o Standardizing field microplastic sampling and laboratory analyzing methods for samples from different marine environmental compartments such as seawater, sediments and beaches;

o Optimizing the microplastic extraction procedures from various marine biotas; Microplastic analysis protocols

o Constructing internationally accepted marine microplastic category and analysis approaches;

o Developing more efficient microplastic identification method;

Distribution, source, transportation and fate of microplastics in the marine environment Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in the WESTPAC (Asia Pacific region)

o Microplastic pollution status of primary estuaries and marine environment in WESTPAC (Asia Pacific region) ;

o Building microplastic data platform in WESTPAC (Asia Pacific region); Source of microplastics

o Constructing fingerprint repository of microplastics and the methodology for its origin apportionment based on collecting both sea- and land-based microplastics;

o Loads of land sourced microplastics into the marine environments; Dynamics and fate of microplastics

o Revealing reaction and sinking mechanisms of microplastics in the coastal water column

o Developing numerical models to predict microplastic transportation in the coastal areas

Effects of microplastics on the marine ecosystems Field and laboratory evidence of microplastics transfer from lower-trophic-level

organisms to higher-trophic-level organisms o Occurrence of microplastics in different field trophic levels o Uptake, transition and excretion of microplastics ingested o Physical damages on marine biotas such as seabirds, fish, bivalves

Mixture, fate and toxicity of chemicals associated with microplastics

o Mixture: compositions of chemicals added or produced during manufacturing and those present in the marine environment that accumulate onto the debris from surrounding seawater o Fate: chemical contaminants partition onto various environmental media; chemical bioavailability and its metabolisms to different marine fauna; dynamics of chemicals in the marine food chains o Toxicity: adverse impacts on biological hierarchy structures namely genetic, cellular, individual, population, community and systems

Ecological Risk Assessment of microplastic pollution in the regional seas

IOC/SC-WESTPAC-XII/8.16 page 2

o Based on the laboratory and field data, develop ecological risk assessment model to evaluate the impacts of microplastics on sensitive biological population and marine ecosystems

III. Principal Investigator (Chairperson) and Program Steering Group

Principal Investigator:

Daoji Li, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, China

Program Steering Group:

Daoji Li, East China Normal University, China;

Won Joon Shim, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology

Zainal Arifin, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia;

Huahong Shi, East China Normal University, China;

Somkiat Khokiattiwong, Phuket Marine Biological Center, Thailand;

Chengjun Sun, State Oceanic Administration No.1 Ocean Institute

Noo Azhar M. Shazili, Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Univiersity, Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia

IV. Terms of Reference of the Program Steering Group

2. The Project Steering Committee is established to meet the scientific, managerial implementation, and resource needs of the WESTPAC- Marine Microplastics Project. It has overall responsibility for the formulation of strategy, and for the planning and coordination of WESTPAC Marine Microplastics Project.

3. The Group will carry out the following functions: Review the regional concerns on Marine Microplastics, and identify the project

requirements;

Promote efficient and cost-effective implementation of the WESTPAC Project and

prepare recommendations on this implementation to the IOC Sub-Commission for

the Western Pacific and the IOC’s Intergovernmental Panel for Marine Microplastics;

Identify the resources necessary to meet Marine Microplastic project needs;

Report to the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific.

V. Activities carried out during the last intersessional period (May 2017 – April 2019)

WESTPAC conference, programme and workshop

4. The WESTPAC 10th international scientific conference “Advancing Ocean Knowledge, Fostering Sustainable Development: from the Indo-Pacific to the globe” was held in 17-20 April 2017, Qingdao, China. During the conference, one of the important concerns is about the threat of marine plastics and microplastics to marine ecosystem. And WESTPAC Microplastic Research programme was established at the 11th Session (21-23 April 2017, Qingdao, China) with Daoji Li designated as the PI, it covers about 100 delegates from 14 Member States in the region, and 5

IOC/SC-WESTPAC-XII/8.16 page 3

partner organizations/programmes (UNEP, CLIVAR, IOCAFRICA). Considering the status of microplastic pollution in the West Pacific region, it’s urgent to comprehensively understand the distribution, source, fate and effects of marine microplastics in the Western Pacific. The new project of microplastic intends to last for three years, from 2017 to 2020. Standardized and internationally accepted sampling and analyzing procedures to compare spatiotemporal microplastic pollution across marine environments are included in this proposal. Environmental behavior and environmental effects of microplastics are also the main focus of this project. By assessing the impact of microplastic pollution on marine ecosystems, we can provide guidance for management and control measures with our solid data in the WESTPAC region.

5. WESTPAC inception workshop named “Distribution, Source, Fate and Impacts of Marine Microplastic in Asia and the Pacific” was held in 20-22 September 2017, Phuket, Thailand. The workshop established a marine microplastic monitoring and research network. shared existing microplastic monitoring and research approaches, and further develop capability of research and monitoring. The participators and organizations identified challenges and gaps in monitoring and assessing the impacts of microplastics on marine ecosystems and discussed the possibility of developing a joint-monitoring plan on the distribution of microplastics, and a shared ecological risk assessment model for microplastics in the region.

6. In the inception phase of WESTPAC Microplastic Research Programme, major activities include:

i. Overview of microplastic pollution and research methodologies. Issues discussed include global assessment of microplastic pollution by Won Joon Shim; an overview of methodology protocol for microplastic sampling and laboratory analysis by Chengjun sun; microplastics in marine organisms by Huahong Shi and methodological limitations for microplastic quantification in the ocean: recommendations for overcoming the defects by Daoji Li.

ii. Mapping microplastic research capacity. There are three levels: Level 1 are countries that have already their respective national/institutional plans with high capacity, such as China, Korea and Thailand; Level 2 are countries that have started to conduct some fragmented research and monitoring programmes with a medium level of capacity, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka; Level 3 are countries that have not yet started microplastic study with limited capacity, including Bangladesh, Philippines and Vietnam.

iii. Harmonizing standardized methods for microplastic sampling and analysis in beach sediments. It is still ongoing.

iv. Pilot sites selection in beaches. A minimum of two pilot sites for each representative type.

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Three representative types: 1) Pristine site with limited human activities such as remote island or protected area 2) Moderate site such as small fishing village, beach outside the city or small scale

aquaculture area 3) Populated site with extensive human activities such as harbor and estuary

v. Establishment of open-ended Working Groups(WGs). Two working groups are involved: 1) Microplastics in Surface Water WG: development of a harmonized method for microplastic sampling and analysis in surface water 2) Microplastics in Marine Organism WG: establishing regular communications and keep identifying joint actions among the established network on the effects of microplastics in marine organisms

vi. Co-organization of ASEAN Conference on Marine Debris (22-23 Nov 2017, Phuket). A side event on “Research on Marine Debris and Microplastics”, moderated by Wenxi Zhu. Reports include Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean by Jenna Jambeck; Regional Efforts on Microplastic Research in Asia and the Pacific by Daoji Li; National Efforts on Plastic and Microplastic Research in Thailand by Somkiat Khokiattiwong.

vii. Co-organization of the 2nd International Symposium on Marine Microplasitc Pollution and Control (24-25 April 2018, Shanghai). Issues being discussed at the conference include:

a) Occurrence and fate of microplastics in the marine environment b) Microplastics interacting with chemical contaminants c) Influences of microplastics on the marine biota d) Citizens science and possible solutions/remediation measurements for marine

microplastics

7. The Second WESTPAC Workshop on Distribution, Source, Fate and Impacts of Marine Microplastics in Asia and the Pacific was held on 15-17 Oct. 2018, Shanghai, China during the implementation phase of WESTPAC Microplastic Research Programme. More than 50 scientists and experts from WESTPAC countries. There were five items on the agenda of the meeting.

1) Discuss the processes that had made since the first Workshop 2) Summarize the guideline of microplastic monitoring method 3) Present the results of the pilot stations 4) Detailed plan and requirements for seawater and marine organism monitoring method 5) Action plan for the marine microplastic research that urgent needed to be carried out in the

future

VI. Outputs generated during the intersessional period (May 2017 – April 2019)

1) Established WESTPAC Microplastic Research programme. 2) WESTPAC inception workshop named “Distribution, Source, Fate and Impacts of Marine

Microplasitic in Asia and the Pacific” was held in 20-22 September 2017, Phuket, Thailand. 3) Established two open-ended Working Groups(WGs): microplastics in Surface Water WG

and Microplastics in Marine Organism WG. 4) Co-organization of ASEAN Conference on Marine Debris(22-23 Nov 2017, Phuket). 5) Co-organization of the 2nd International Symposium on Marine Microplasitc Pollution and

Control (24-25 April 2018, Shanghai). 6) WESTPAC second workshop named “Distribution, Source, Fate and Impacts of Marine

Microplasitic in Asia and the Pacific” was held in 15-17 October 2018, Shanghai, China.

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VII. Problems encountered and actions to be considered by the 12th Intergovernmental

Session, scheduled for 2-5 April 2019, Manila, the Philippines

8. In the application of micoplastic harmonized methods, some countries are unable to use as the lack of funding and instruments, such as micro FTIR.

IOC/SC-WESTPAC-XII/8.16 page 6 VIII. Workplan and Budget for May 2019 – April 2021

Program

Funding Required

Remark Activities Objectives

Expected

outputs/outcomes Date and place IOC

Other

sources (i.e. from national

or

international)

Analyze the results

from beaches and

sediments which

were collected using

the harmonized

method.

Analyze the results from beaches

and sediments which were

collected using the harmonized

method.

Contamination

condition level of

microplastic in

beaches and

sediments in

West Pacific

Region

2018. 10-

2019.06

Finalize the

sampling and

analytical methods

in surface water and

marine organisms.

Harmonize the methods 2018.10-

2019.06

Third WESTPAC

Workshop on

Distribution, Source,

Fate and Impacts of

Marine Microplastics

in Asia and the

2019.10

Indonesia or

China

IOC/SC-WESTPAC-XII/8.16 page 7

Program

Funding Required

Remark Activities Objectives

Expected

outputs/outcomes Date and place IOC

Other

sources (i.e. from national

or

international)

Pacific

Field survey on the

microplastic

contamination levels

in water surface and

marine organisms

using the

harmonized

methods

Analyze and report

the results