The Control of Microplastic Pollution in Semi-Closed Seas: Good-Faith Cooperation and Regional Practice
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
+ The function of an abstract is to describe, not to evaluate or defend, the paper. The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem or issue, followed by a description of the research method and design, the major findings, and the conclusions reached. Therefore, you should rewrite the abstract.
+In an essay paper, citations are used to acknowledge the sources of information that have been used. More citations are needed.
+The introduction should clearly highlight the novelty of the research and specify the gap in the existing literature that this study aims to fill. Providing a strong rationale for the research's significance will strengthen its overall impact.
+The regulation of microplastic pollution in surface waters is mainly aimed at preventing the discharge of potential sources of microplastics into the environment. While the manuscript touches on the regulatory aspects, it could benefit from addressing the broader issue. Local governments and authorities could be encouraged to support monitoring initiatives carried out by scientists or to carry out such monitoring themselves.
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 1 Comments
Point 1: The function of an abstract is to describe, not to evaluate or defend, the paper. The abstract should begin with a brief but precise statement of the problem or issue, followed by a description of the research method and design, the major findings, and the conclusions reached. Therefore, you should rewrite the abstract.
Response 1: Many thanks for your comments. The author has rewritten the abstract. We do hope it has come to a publishable level.
Point 2: In an essay paper, citations are used to acknowledge the sources of information that have been used. More citations are needed.
Response 2: Many thanks for your comments. The author has adapted more sources of information.
Point 3: The introduction should clearly highlight the novelty of the research and specify the gap in the existing literature that this study aims to fill. Providing a strong rationale for the research's significance will strengthen its overall impact.
Response 3: Many thanks for your comments. The author has rewritten the introduction. In the introduction section, a review of the literature is conducted to highlight the uniqueness and practicality of the article, focusing on the research field in the region of semi-enclosed sea, and exploring the strategies to combat microplastic pollution from the framework of international law and regional practice. Together with new citations of [1], [2]; [4]-[10]; [13]-[16]. We do hope it has come to a publishable level.
Point 4: The regulation of microplastic pollution in surface waters is mainly aimed at preventing the discharge of potential sources of microplastics into the environment. While the manuscript touches on the regulatory aspects, it could benefit from addressing the broader issue. Local governments and authorities could be encouraged to support monitoring initiatives carried out by scientists or to carry out such monitoring themselves.
Response 4: Many thanks for your comments. The author has added more justification in section 5.4 Effective measures - strictly control the total amount of plastic waste entering the sea, a new section focusing on environmental monitoring has been added, emphasizing the importance and role of joint monitoring by local governments and the scientific community.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The following report is based on my review of the manuscript entitled “
The Control of Microplastic Pollution in Semi-closed Seas: Good-faith Cooperation and Regional Practice” with manuscript number sustainability-2525097.
The manuscript fits within the scope of sustainability Journal and is also interesting. However, I really impressed the author contribution to the field of this research, the following shortcomings have been pointed out and need to be addressed properly for further improvement of the manuscript. They are:
1- But I observed a little typo error throughout the manuscript as in line 34, the full stop should be after the citation, then start the new sentence.
2- In abstract line 11, after full stop should be a space.
3- No single Image are used for the present study, High qualities are highly commendable
4- The uniqueness and practical application of this study could be emphasized further as crucial research components in the introductory section. As a result, the introductory section needs to be enhanced. To improve and enlarge the introduction portion of the work, the author(s) should consult these publications as well as numerous more from reputable journals that are related.
5- It is advised that the findings of the current study be compared to those of some comparable studies. The findings require additional justifications and interpretations. While discussing their findings, authors should provide pertinent and recent references.
6- Finally, before the paper is accepted for publishing, it should be amended in accordance with the aforementioned recommendations reviewed again before accepting it for publication..
Attached
Author Response
Point 1: But I observed a little typo error throughout the manuscript as in line 34, the full stop should be after the citation, then start the new sentence.
Response 1: Many thanks for your comments. The manuscript has been checked. We do hope that the quality of written English is now at the publishable level.
Point 2: In abstract line 11, after full stop should be a space.
Response 2: Many thanks for your comments. The manuscript has been checked. We do hope that the quality of written English is now at the publishable level.
Point 3: No single Image are used for the present study, High qualities are highly commendable.
Response 3: Many thanks for your comments.
Point 4: The uniqueness and practical application of this study could be emphasized further as crucial research components in the introductory section. As a result, the introductory section needs to be enhanced. To improve and enlarge the introduction portion of the work, the author(s) should consult these publications as well as numerous more from reputable journals that are related.
Response 4: Many thanks for your comments. The author has rewritten the introduction. In the introduction section, a review of the literature is conducted to highlight the uniqueness and practicality of the article, focusing on the research field in the region of semi-enclosed sea, and exploring the strategies to combat microplastic pollution from the framework of international law and regional practice. Together with new citations of [1], [2]; [4]-[10]; [13]-[16]. We do hope it has come to a publishable level.
Point 5: It is advised that the findings of the current study be compared to those of some comparable studies. The findings require additional justifications and interpretations. While discussing their findings, authors should provide pertinent and recent references.
Response 5: Many thanks for your comments. The author has added more references and cited pertinent recent research to demonstrate his point of view in this essay. For example, citation of [36] “The Role of Cooperation in the Protection and Preservation of the Marine Environment and its Realization in the Baltic Sea” illustrates regional cooperation is a prerequisite for the effective protection and preservation of the marine environment. Citation of [43] “Making the most of what we already have: Activating UNCLOS to combat marine plastic pollution” illustrates the role of the UNCLOS in the process of global plastic regulation development. Citation of [46] “Identifying New Pathways for Ocean Governance: The Role of Legal Principles in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction” illustrates the function of principle. Citation [47] “Critical Perspectives on the New Situation of Global Ocean Governance” illustrates the role of science and technological innovation in ocean governance.
Point 6: Finally, before the paper is accepted for publishing, it should be amended in accordance with the aforementioned recommendations reviewed again before accepting it for publication.
Response 6: Many thanks for your comments.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
