Vulnerability of mangrove ecosystems to anthropogenic marine litter along the southeast coast of India.

Human-caused marine pollution poses a constant threat to marine ecosystems, particularly tropical mangrove forests, which are vulnerable to litter from both inland and marine sources due to inadequate waste management. Despite well-documented effects of marine litter on various maritime habitats, its impact on mangrove forests remains underexplored. This study investigates the abundance, composition, sources, and impacts of human-caused marine litter on mangroves along the Thoothukudi coast in the Gulf of Mannar, southeast India.