July 18, 2026, El Campello, Alicante, Spain: Plastic litter, including disposable cups, bags, food packaging and cutlery, floats in the water and rests on the seabed off El Campello beach on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, where tourists swim during the peak summer season. The surrounding coastline was recently identified by researchers at the University of Alicante as an important nursery area for juvenile common stingrays (Dasyatis pastinaca), highlighting the coexistence of marine plastic pollution and a sensitive coastal habitat. (Credit Image: © Alex Basha/JNA via ZUMA Press Wire) #zumapress #journalism #garbage