Abstract Over the past century, marine pollution research has evolved from localized observational studies to a globally coordinated scientific framework supporting ecosystem-based management and international environmental governance. Early investigations focused on visible contamination and public health concerns associated with industrialization, constrained by limited analytical capabilities and methodological tools. Advances in chemistry, toxicology, and marine ecology during the mid-twentieth century enabled more systematic assessments of pollution sources, pathways, and biological effects, while major pollution incidents exposed the ecological and societal consequences of unregulated discharges. From the late twentieth century onward, the development of integrative monitoring frameworks, and cumulative impact assessments allowed the evaluation of multiple stressors across broader spatial and temporal scales. Concurrently, the progressive institutionalization of marine science and the emergence of international conventions and regulatory instruments strengthened linkages between scientific knowledge and policy responses. This paper examines the historical development of marine pollution research, highlighting key scientific milestones, shifts in conceptual understanding, and the growing role of coordinated global assessments in addressing increasingly complex pressures on marine ecosystems.
Juan Bellas (Fri,) studied this question.