AUTHOR=Ellrich Julius A. , Ehlers Sonja M. , Furukuma Shunji TITLE=Plastitar records in marine coastal environments worldwide from 1973 to 2023 JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1297150 DOI=10.3389/fmars.2023.1297150 ISSN=2296-7745 ABSTRACT=Plastic embedded in tar residues encrusting rocky coastlines were discovered on the Canary Islands (NE Atlantic Ocean) and termed “plastitar” in 2022. As plastic and tar pollution is widespread in marine pelagic and benthic habitats, it was predicted that this novel plastic form could occur on other coasts as well. To test this prediction, we reviewed the literature on plastic embedded in tar and examined rocky coastlines in our regions for plastitar. We found eight studies which reported plastic embedded in tar under several descriptions and terms (including “tar-bonded beach-conglomerate tarcrete”, “plasto-tar crust”, “plasto-tarball” and “plastitar”) in India (Arabian Sea), Bermuda (Saragossa Sea), the Bahamas (NW Atlantic Ocean), the United Arabic Emirates (Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman), Malta (central Mediterranean Sea), Croatia (Adriatic Sea), Italy (Adriatic and Ligurian Sea), Cabrera island, Menorca island and Sardinia island (western Mediterranean Sea) and Indonesia (Java Sea) from 1973 to 2023.