Science on the Beach

A University of Portsmouth researcher is calling for volunteers to combine seaside visits with a spot of science by collecting tiny pieces of plastic to provide data for further studies.

The Big Microplastic Survey is the brainchild of Portsmouth student David Jones, who is also the Founder of Just One Ocean, an environmental campaigning organisation which is working in collaboration with the university to make the gathered information available for analyses.

David noted that there were no UK wide microplastic surveys: “For academic research, data is key; we need reliable information about how much plastic is making its way onto our beaches and into our rivers and lakes, as well as what it is.”

David said: “One of the biggest global issues affecting our oceans is microplastics and while much of the focus of attention at the moment is on cleaning the bigger pieces of plastics from our beaches, there are significant gaps in our knowledge about the types of microplastic in our oceans and on our coastlines, as well as its concentration and its distribution.

“We know that microplastics are having a devastating impact on the environment. They are being ingested by fish and birds and getting into the food chain. They are also having an impact on human health and we need to know more. This project is all about getting people involved and gathering lots of data.”

For further information and resource pack visit www.microplasticsurvey.org