Marine debris is one of the environmental problems highlighted in this decade. These pollutants are present in various environments worldwide, ranging from highly urbanized beaches to even the most remote islands. This study aimed to understand the factors involved in the origin and distribution of solid waste and microplastics via their characterization and quantification on beaches of three islands in southeastern Brazil: Trindade Island/ES, Grande Island/RJ, and Paquetá Island/RJ. These islands vary in their proximity to the continent and exhibit distinct patterns of occupation and use. Sediments were collected at three points in wet and dry sand on each beach and then analyzed and quantified. The results showed that the highest density of solid waste was 0.27 items.m ^-2 on Trindade Island, followed by Paquetá Island/RJ, with 0.10 items.m ^-2 , and Grande Island/RJ, with 0.07 items.m ^-2 . Plastic was the most abundant material on the three islands studied. The highest concentration of microplastics was found on Paquetá Island (21.98 items.kg ^-1 ), followed by Grande Island (8.85 items.kg ^-1 ) and Trindade Island (2.44 items.kg ^-1 ). The blue color and fragments were prevalent on the three islands, accounting for 31 and 74% on Trindade Island, 44 and 77% on Grande Island, and 31 and 68% on Paquetá Island, respectively. Microplastics smaller than 1,000 μm predominated on Trindade Island (76%) and Grande Island (68%), whereas, on Paquetá Island, microplastics with sizes ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 μm prevailed (62%). This research demonstrated that the abundance and distribution of solid waste and microplastics are determined by several factors, including oceanographic processes and anthropic influence, resulting from the different forms of use and occupation of the islands studied.

Among the various forms of pollution, anthropogenic debris has been widely documented to cause entanglement and premature death of sea turtles, in addition to being ingested by these animals. One of the most affected species is the green turtle, which is commonly found along the south-central coast of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), an area characterized by high human population density. This study aimed to assess the impact of anthropogenic debris on green turtles by analyzing the gastrointestinal tracts of 66 individuals stranded along the south-central coast of RJ, as documented by the Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project. Pieces of debris (1,683 in total) were found in 69.7% of the individuals analyzed, with the highest concentration observed in the large intestine. The most common types of debris were flexible plastic waste (50.5%; 850 items) and amber/brown debris (36.5%; 614 items) within the size range of 0.5 mm to 2.5 cm (41.2%; 693 items). No significant differences in debris composition were observed between turtles encountered inside and outside the bays. The substantial number

Marine and coastal environments are vital, yet they suffer from the impacts of waste of human activities. The inclusion of environmental education (EE) in schools is essential to promote the conservation of these ecosystems. This article reviews studies on EE in basic education, specifically related to waste in marine areas. It was found that most research is concentrated in the Southeast region, with public institutions and lower secondary education being the main focus. Questionnaires are the most used method. The study highlights the need to expand actions to early school years, diversify methodologies, and promote ocean literacy, critical thinking, and sustainable engagement among children and adolescents.