News
Government backs student microplastic survey
A global citizen science project begun by a university student has won the backing of the UK government’s Environment Agency.
University of Portsmouth PhD student David Jones launched The Big Microplastic Survey, thought to be a world-first, in an attempt to measure the microplastic pollution rates on beaches and riverbanks worldwide.
Microplastics are small fragments of larger plastic waste which have broken down to 1mm-10mm in size, which means they tend to escape the attention of beach clean-ups.
They are known to cause serious harm to wildlife and, it is thought, to humans once they reach the food chain.
Within days of launching the survey, volunteers had signed up in Hawaii, Mozambique, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, the Netherlands and across the UK.
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, 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.”
The Environment Agency has thrown its weight behind David’s survey by getting its monitoring teams to survey 22 Devon and Cornwall beaches on September 6.
It is also calling for more volunteers to join the survey across Britain.
Bruce Newport, head of the Environment Agency’s plastics and sustainability team, said: “We are committed to making plastic pollution a thing of the past. We have partnered with the University of Portsmouth to collect samples of microplastics from our beaches for scientific analysis. The results will tell us the abundance, source, type and characteristics of the plastic found, which is essential if we are to understand the global plastic problem better and direct resources to solve it effectively.”
David is a leading anti-plastics campaigner, a deep sea diver, underwater cameraman and former military officer who founded not-for-profit organisation Just One Ocean.
He said: “While much of the public’s focus is on cleaning up the larger pieces of plastic from our beaches, the biggest threat to wildlife and human health is the ever increasing amount of microplastics. The responsibility for protecting our coastal and marine environment belongs to us all.”
Research to measure the distribution and scale of the microplastic problem is essential, David says, if we are to develop strategic plans to prevent this crisis becoming a catastrophe.
The survey is also open to anyone visiting a beach, riverbank or lakeside anywhere in the world.
The University of Portsmouth will provide research facilities for the management and analysis of data and will be a focus point for further research as the project develops.
The survey is ongoing and anyone can take part at any time. The method is simple and instructions for taking part are on: http://microplasticsurvey.org/
To keep up to date with this project you can also visit:
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
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