Microplastics are ubiquitous in marine environments and have been documented across all ocean compartments, especially surface waters, across the world. Even though several studies identify the presence of microplastics in the world’s five oceans, there remains an overt problem of large inconsistencies in their sampling, extraction, and consequent quantification. Despite the complexity of these methodologies, researchers have tried to explore microplastic abundance in ocean surface waters. Using a systematic review approach, a dataset was derived from 73 primary studies undertaken since the year 2010 following the Oslo and Paris Conventions (OSPAR) guidelines to monitor and harmonise marine debris. The results showed differences in the abundance and distribution of microplastics in surface waters across oceans. The overall concentration of microplastics in all five oceans ranged between 0.002 and 62.50 items/m³, with a mean abundance of 2.76 items/m³. The highest mean concentration of microplastics was found in the Atlantic (4.98 items/m³), while the least was observed in the Southern Ocean (0.04 items/m³). While challenging, this paper recommends harmonisation of the sampling, separation, and identification methods across the globe to aid in the design of the appropriate mitigation strategies for reducing marine plastic pollution.

This article examines issues surrounding the potential applicability of nonmarket valuation techniques to indigenous peoples. A conceptual model examines relationships between natural and cultural environments and value systems. Problems of valuation identified include eliciting values for individuals, aggregating individual values into measures of social welfare, and comparisons of welfare across culturally different groups. The influence of sacred or taboo goods, the potential for satiation, and variations in property rights are factors to address in assessing individual values. Differences in political and property rights systems, and unique demographic structures are seen as limits to aggregating values for randomly selected individuals. Since valuation is endogenous to specific social environments, aggregations of indigenous and nonindigenous measures of social welfare may be inappropriate.