A Review of Marine Debris Research in Vietnam

Nguyen, T.H.T., 2024. A review of marine debris research in Vietnam. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(3), 588–597. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Being considered one of the biggest contributors of marine debris in the world, Vietnam issued a National Action Plan in 2019 that committed to reducing plastic waste in the sea and ocean by 75% by 2030. This present study reviewed the current state of knowledge on marine debris research and management in Vietnam and aimed to support an overall picture of data in order to help deal with the marine pollution problem. According to the records gathered, the research on marine pollution over time in Vietnam has increased, from 8 manuscripts in 2019 to 22 manuscripts in 2022. Study results also showed that there are prepossessions in current research on debris properties, such as predilection for plastic type or fiber and fragment shapes, leaning toward certain environmental compartments (like beaches and floating systems), and favor toward the study area. There is a geographical trend of research being conducted in four main regions in Vietnam (the Red River Delta, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and the Mekong River Delta). The gaps and limits of current marine debris research in Vietnam are also discussed, and avenues for future research are proposed, which are intended to be helpful for both academic and management efforts.