The EGU General Assembly 2025 welcomed 20,984 registered attendees, of which 18,646 made their way to Vienna from 120 countries and 2,338 joined online from 104 countries. It was a great success with 18,934 presentations given in 1,102 sessions. The REMEDIES partner, VITO, represented by Milica Velimirovic together with Daniel González-Fernández (Universidad de Cádiz, Inspire project) organized a Townhall meeting on Empowering Communities: Citizen Science and Engagement in Tackling Plastic Pollution. An oral presentation also took place in the session: Advances in plastic pollution monitoring across the Geosphere where monitoring data of beach macro litter (>2.5 cm) on six beaches in six Mediterranean countries (Italy, Slovenia, Albania, Greece, Morocco, France) collected during 2024 were reported. Seasonal monitoring was conducted together with volunteers four times per year using the REMEDIES mobile app, in accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). This app facilitates the collection of data on the localization, types, quantities, materials, and sources of macro litter on beaches, thereby contributing to efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, protect marine life, and preserve the ecological balance in the Mediterranean region.
