Much of the general public assigns blame for the issue of ocean pollution on the government, retailers and industry, according to a study from the University of Plymouth. Even greater still, according to the research, is the public’s belief that these agencies are neither motivated nor competent enough to address the problem of marine pollution, and instead put their faith in both scientists and environmental groups to solve the problem.

The team of researchers discovered these attitudes after conducting a survey throughout Europe asking over 1,000 participants about their feelings concerning marine litter. When asked if they had ever seen marine litter while at the beach, 95 percent of participants reported that they had and, as a consequence, felt a willingness to alter their own behaviors in an attempt to address the problem. When asked about their biggest concern on the issue of ocean pollution, the participants put at the top of their list the threat it poses to wildlife, significantly outweighing concerns involving tourism and the shipping and fishing industries.

Likewise, when asked what they thought were the biggest contributing factors to such an accumulation of waste, participants listed the use of plastic in packaging and products followed by methods of disposal and single-use plastics.

Dr. Sabine Pahl, associate professor (reader) in the University of Plymouth's School of Psychology, is the study's corresponding author. She said: "Marine litter is an issue without borders. But human behavior in its many forms is the sole source of the problem, and changing perceptions and behavior is key to preventing litter from continuing to escape into the natural environment. This research gives us useful insights so that we can attempt to motivate action on land that makes a positive change to our coastlines and oceans now and in the future."

Professor Richard Thompson OBE, head of the university's International Marine Litter Research Unit, also contributed to the research. He added: "At a time when there is a broad commitment to address this global crisis, this research presents an interesting conundrum. It is encouraging to see there is growing public awareness of the marine litter problem, but there are clearly challenges to be overcome in convincing people that we all need to be part of the solution. There needs to be a holistic approach which includes governments and industry, scientists and the public, and this research is a useful step in finding ways to communicate that more widely."

The research is published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.