The blue nexus unveiled: Interlinking marine pollution, circular economy, and the blue economy in ocean sustainability

The circular economy has emerged as a transformative framework in environmental research, promoting resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable production-consumption cycles-crucial for addressing marine pollution challenges. The growing urgency of marine environmental degradation and the global shift toward a sustainable blue economy have driven interdisciplinary research linking ocean health and economic development. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 3261 Scopus-indexed publications (1990-2025), focusing on the thematic convergence of marine pollution and blue economy discourses. Using keyword co-occurrence mapping, the analysis identifies major research clusters related to marine contaminants, wastewater treatment technologies, circular economy practices, environmental economics, and marine governance. Results reveal three dominant thematic domains: (1) marine and coastal pollution, including plastic debris, oil spills, and harmful algal blooms; (2) sustainability and life cycle approaches tied to economic valuation and waste management; and (3) ocean policy, ecosystem services, and climate resilience. Central cross-cutting terms-such as sustainability, monitoring, and ecosystem valuation-highlight the field's integrative nature. A thematic literature review further synthesised interdisciplinary insights. This study proposes an Integrated Marine Sustainability Framework (IMSF) linking marine sustainability outcomes to key drivers-pollution, technology, and policy-moderated by governance and stakeholder engagement. It underscores circular economy and blue economy strategies to minimize marine pollution, ensuring environmental protection, economic growth, and effective, integrated ocean management for sustainable development. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the knowledge structure and priorities in marine environmental science, offering insights for policy alignment, academic collaboration, and future research on sustainable ocean development.