Broad-scale distribution of marine benthic litter in shallow waters along the Turkish Aegean coast: a SCUBA-based assessment

This study provides the first harmonized and policy-relevant baseline for benthic litter along the Turkish Aegean coast. The findings highlight the importance of integrating mass-based indicators alongside abundance metrics to better assess ecological risk and inform management strategies. SCUBA-assisted surveys are shown to be a robust and complementary approach for monitoring benthic litter in shallow, heterogeneous coastal environments within MSFD/UNEP-aligned frameworks.