GLOBAL LEADERS TO MEET IN ICELAND AS PLASTIC POLLUTION REACHES EVERY PART OF THE OCEAN

Global leaders to meet in Iceland as plastic pollution reaches every part of the ocean. More than 300 experts will gather in Reykjavík to advance research, policy and solutions to marine plastic pollution

Third International Symposium on Marine Plastic Pollution

Marine plastic pollution has become a global crisis, with plastic now found from the ocean surface to the seabed, inside marine life and across the food chain. In October 2026, Iceland will bring together more than 300 scientists, policymakers, industry leaders and ocean stakeholders to accelerate action on one of the most urgent threats facing marine ecosystems.

The Third International Symposium on Marine Plastic Pollution will take place at Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavík from 20 to 22 October 2026. The event will focus on the latest science, practical solutions and international cooperation needed to reduce plastic pollution and protect the health of the ocean.

Plastic pollution is now detected in some of the planet’s most remote waters, including the Arctic and Antarctic. Microplastics are also increasingly found in marine organisms and humans, underscoring the need for coordinated action across science, policy and industry.

The symposium is organised by the Government of Iceland in partnership with domestic and international partners committed to ocean sustainability.

Global partners include the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa; the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Brazil; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of Morocco; the African Atlantic States Process; the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

For more information and registration, visit www.atlanticplastics.is.

Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash