Oceans: Field sampling is essential to monitor the impact of our cleanup, and it helps shape our strategy. Observational and applied studies are at the heart of our research on plastic pollution. Systematic and accurate field data enable us to better comprehend the nature and evolution of ocean plastics.

The Research Team has conducted several offshore expeditions in the subtropical gyres of the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Oceans. Data collected during these missions revealed new insights on the accumulation of floating plastic debris – both on the ocean surface, as well as within the water column. In 2018, we published a comprehensive quantification and characterization of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), the first location for our cleanup operations.

Rivers: To better understand the dynamics and quantities of plastic that flow into our oceans from rivers, we conduct extensive observational field sampling research on land, in river networks, and near coastlines.

The success of our cleanup depends on access to up-to-date global information on floating plastic accumulation. The ability to quickly process this large quantity of data is also necessary. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and remote sensing technology enable us to automate data gathering for the behavior of floating plastic on the ocean surface and in rivers.

We conducted various observational surveys using airplanes during the Aerial Expedition in 2017. We produced hundreds of square kilometers of sea surface imagery using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and vessel-mounted cameras during recent cleanup operations in the GPGP. Additionally, the team uses satellite observation data and regularly conducts experiments using test sensors for space-borne monitoring of ocean plastics. Efforts such as these advance the scientific field of ocean plastics observation.

Empirical research is also conducted to test our sensors and understand the fate of ocean plastic pollution. Experimental research is required to characterize the mechanisms governing the behavior of plastics in the marine environment.

We conduct laboratory testing to monitor several metrics, such as degradation, biofouling (colonialization by organisms), and rising speed in the water column. We are currently incubating plastics of different polymer types, shapes, and sizes in oceanic conditions. To refine our knowledge of sources and transport of ocean plastics, we conduct experimental tests that monitor how different plastics are displaced. We look at the actions of wind, rain, and gravity – both on land, as well as in oceanic currents, waves, and wind at sea. What we learn is applied to our analysis, giving us greater confidence when predicting the fate of ocean plastic pollution and the long-term evolution of ocean garbage patches if left untouched.

We are developing a suite of in-house numerical models to forecast the accumulation of ocean plastics globally.

Oceans: Oceanic transport models are essential to numerically reproduce the formation, and anticipate the evolution, of large ocean plastic accumulation zones. Knowledge of ocean plastic accumulation helps us develop our cleanup strategies.

Rivers: To determine optimal locations for intercepting plastic before it can enter the ocean, we are developing land-based models that study the transport and emissions of plastics from rivers. Our research has identified 1000 rivers, emitting nearly 80% of the world’s river plastic flowing into the ocean. These rivers are where we encourage mitigation measures.

Our science is made open-access, and our ocean transport model is open-source so that researchers can access it and benefit. Results of our simulations are also made available to help others visualize where a piece of discarded plastic could end up in the ocean.