Wanted: Sailors to track marine plastics

The Ocean Cleanup is calling on sailors between California and Hawaii to take part in its research expedition to map plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP).

The Dutch non-profit is looking to track the world’s largest accumulation of floating plastic, using AI technology, to clean it ‘more efficiently’ in the future. ‘Sailors willing to fit the AI cameras and use GPS trackers on their leisure trips or during regattas can advance understanding of the patch’s composition to help future cleanup efforts,’ explains the organisation.

The Ocean Cleanup’s mission is to rid the oceans of plastic. In the past four years it has removed some 500 000 tonnes of waste from the Pacific. The GPGP covers an area twice the size of the state of Texas and is mostly comprised of ghost nets and other fishing gear, complemented by a wide array of plastic pieces dating back to the 1960s.

Debris monitoring tool

Those taking part will be given an innovative AI camera known as the automatic debris imaging system (Adis), which monitors and maps the distribution of the plastic. This camera will be installed at the highest possible point on the vessel: ‘make sure it faces the ocean surface and Adis will do the rest’.

The lightweight cameras take photos of plastics floating at sea and send the data back to The Ocean Cleanup HQ in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This enables the organisation to map plastic concentrations and use predictive software to track their movement using ocean circulation, wave and wind data.

Ghost net hunters

Boats can also help to advance understanding of this remote stretch of ocean by using GPS tracking buoys to tag lost, or abandoned fishing gear and ghost nets. ‘This will also help track and model where these large items are floating and pinpoint them for smart, targeted, future cleanup efforts.’ As a ghost net hunter, participants will be asked to attach the trackers to abandoned fishing gear found at sea and release them.

Technology has become crucial for future ocean cleanup. ‘The strategic integration of remote sensing from ships, drones and satellites as well as the use of AI and particularly machine learning can revolutionise the detection, tracking and removal of plastic debris,’ the organisation says.