To be successful, solutions to marine plastic pollution must be predicated upon a clear understanding of the issues based on sound science. This session will discuss findings of a review of scientific research on marine plastic pollution in South East Asia and consider how critical research gaps can be filled. 

This work is a result of a team effort from several researcher centres of the National University of Singapore (NUS): the Centre for International Law (CIL), the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and ST John Marine Laboratory (SJML). 

Presentations, follow-up discussions and Q&A in this session will explore the current state of scientific knowledge on marine plastic litter in the region, including the extent to which current research addresses the priorities or areas of focus of marine litter policy frameworks, initiatives and programmes driven by governments, industry and civil society. Based on this, the session will seek to identify key gaps in research.