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TouMaLi:
Marine litter and sustanable waste management in North-African coastal tourism regions

Duration:
01.05.2021 - 31.12.2025
Project coordinated by:
University of Rostock, Department of Waste and Resource Management
Project manager (IOW):
Prof. Dr. habil. Gerald Schernewski
Funding:
BMUV - Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz
Researcharea:
Research Area 3: Emerging Technologies Enabling Advanced Marine Science
Partners:
University of Rostock, Department of Waste and Resource Management
adelphi research gGmbH
Landbell AG
BlackForest Solutions
Econnexions
Tunis International Centre for Environmental Technologies
University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport
The overall project goal is to reduce the proportion of waste from coastal tourism in North-African states (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunesia), and to recycle and reuse unavoidable waste in order to sustainably reduce the overall amount of marine and beach littering. Major activities are the development and implementation of a coastal monitoring program; the definition of a pollution baseline as well as marine litter pollution assessments; the evaluation of solid waste management and current mitigation measures; the analysis, implementation and monitoring of legal, organizational, financial and technical solutions and measures with local, regional and national actors; and the provision of capacity building and awareness rising in the regions. 

Publikationen

  • von Thenen, M., M. von Loh, E. Robbe, L. B. Abdallah, G. Escobar-Sánchez, M. Haseler, F. M’hiri and G. Schernewski (2025). Beach Wrack on Baltic and Mediterranean Sea Beaches: Litter Pollution and Management Perspectives. Estuar. Coast. 48: 61, doi: 10.1007/s12237-025-01497-1
  • Slimane, E. B., M. Haseler, L. Ben Abdallah, F. Mhiri, A. Nassour and G. Schernewski (2025). Efficient Beach Litter Monitoring: Accelerated Surveys of Pollution Hotspots—A North African Case Study. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 13: 71, doi: 10.3390/jmse13010071
  • Haseler, M., L. Ben Abdallah, L. El Fels, B. El Hayany, G. Hassan, G. Escobar-Sánchez, E. Robbe, M. von Thenen, A. Loukili, M. Abd El-Raouf, F. Mhiri, A. A. El-Bary, G. Schernewski and A. Nassour (2025). Assessment of beach litter pollution in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco: a study of macro and meso-litter on Mediterranean beaches. Environ. Monit. Assess. 197: 123, doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13517-x
  • Robbe, E., L. B. Abdallah, L. El Fels, N. E. H. Chaher, M. Haseler, F. Mhiri and G. Schernewski (2024). Towards solving the beach litter problem: Ecosystem service assessments at North African coasts. Sustainability 16: 5911, doi: 10.3390/su16145911
  • Robbe, E., L. Rogge, J. Lesutienė, M. Bučas and G. Schernewski (2024). Assessment of Ecosystem Services Provided by Macrophytes in Southern Baltic and Southern Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons. Environ. Manage. 74: 206-229, doi: 10.1007/s00267-024-01955-9
  • Schernewski, G., G. Escobar Sánchez, S. Felsing, M. Gatel Rebours, M. Haseler, R. Hauk, X. Lange and S. Piehl (2024). Emission, transport and retention of floating marine macro-litter (plastics): The Role of Baltic harbor and sailing festivals. Sustainability 16: 1220, doi: 10.3390/su16031220
  • MSFD Technical Group on Marine Litter, F. Galgani, L. F. Ruiz-Orejón, F. Ronchi, K. Tallec, E. K. Fischer, M. Matiddi, A. Anastasopoulou, E. Andresmaa, M. Angiolillo, M. Bakker Paiva, A. M. Booth, N. Buhhalko, B. Cadiou, F. Clarò, P. Consoli, G. Darmon, S. Deudero, D. Fleet, T. Fortibuoni, M. C. Fossi, J. Gago, O. Gérigny, A. Giorgetti, D. González-Fernández, N. Guse, M. Haseler, C. Ioakeimidis, U. Kammann, S. Kühn, C. Lacroix, I. Lips, A. L. Loza, M. E. Molina Jack, K. Norén, M. Papadoyannakis, H. Pragnel-Raasch, A. Rindorf, M. Ruiz, O. Setälä, M. Schulz, M. Schultze, C. Silvestri, L. Soederberg, E. Stoica, M. Storr-Paulsen, J. Strand, T. Valente, J. Franeker, W. Loon, M. Vighi, M. Vinci, T. Vlachogianni, A. Volckaert, S. Weiel, B. Wenneker, S. Werner, C. Zeri, P. Zorzo and G. Hanke (2023). Guidance on the Monitoring of Marine Litter in European Seas - An update to improve the harmonised monitoring of marine litter under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 978-9268-04093-5, doi: 10.2760/59137
  • Schernewski, G., G. Escobar Sánchez, P. Wandersee, X. Lange, M. Haseler and A. Nassour (2023). Marine Macro-Litter (Plastic) Pollution of German and North African Marina and City-Port Sea Floors. Appl. Sci.-Basel 13: 11424, doi: 10.3390/app132011424
  • Haseler, M., M. v. Thenen, E. Robbe, G. Escobar Sáchez, L. Ben Abdallah, G. Hassan and G. Schernewski (2022). Marine litter monitoring on North African beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. In: 16th International Conference Littoral22 Book of Abstracts. Ed. by J. C. Ferreira, M. Ferreira, C. Jóia Santos and C. Macedo Duarte. Caparica,  Portugal: NOVA School of Science and Technology | FCT NOVA: 53-54, 978-972- 99923-6-0
  • Escobar Sáchez, G., E. Robbe, A. Baccar Chaabane, M. Haseler and G. Schernewski (2022). Mitigation measures for macroplastics in coastal zones: a critical assessment of biodegradable materials. In: 16th International Conference Littoral22 Book of Abstracts. Ed. by J. C. Ferreira, M. Ferreira, C. Jóia Santos and C. Macedo Duarte. Caparica,  Portugal: NOVA School of Science and Technology | FCT NOVA: 213-214, 978-972- 99923-6-0
  • Robbe, E., L. Rogge, J. Lesutienė, M. Bučas and G. Schernewski (2022). The assessment of macrophyte ecosystems and their services in coastal shallow areas - A comparison of lagoons in the Southern Baltic and Southern Mediterranean Sea. In: 16th International Conference Littoral22 Book of Abstracts. Ed. by J. C. Ferreira, M. Ferreira, C. Jóia Santos and C. Macedo Duarte. Caparica,  Portugal: NOVA School of Science and Technology | FCT NOVA: 295-296, 978-972- 99923-6-0
  • Schernewski, G. and H. Radtke (2022). Microplastic in the Baltic Sea - State, Sources, Behavior and Retention Measures. In: 16th International Conference Littoral22 Book of Abstracts. Ed. by J. C. Ferreira, M. Ferreira, C. Jóia Santos and C. Macedo Duarte. Caparica,  Portugal: NOVA School of Science and Technology | FCT NOVA: 207-209, 978-972- 99923-6-0
  • Escobar-Sánchez, G., G. Markfort, M. Berghald, L. Ritzenhofen and G. Schernewski (2022). Aerial and underwater drones for marine litter monitoring in shallow coastal waters: factors influencing item detection and cost-efficiency. Environ. Monit. Assess. 194: 863, doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-10519-5
  • Baccar Chaabane, A., E. Robbe, G. Schernewski and H. Schubert (2022). Decomposition behavior of biodegradable and single-use tableware items in the Warnow estuary (Baltic Sea). Sustainability 14: 2544, doi: 10.3390/su14052544