Updates | The Ocean Cleanup

General

System 001/B – The Mission Plan

Engineering

System Design Upgrades Completed, to be Relaunched in June

Research

Mission One Environmental Monitoring Results Available

July 03

Since we’re back in the patch, here’s a recap of our plans for System 001/B.

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June 27

In four months, we designed, procured, assembled, and launched an entirely new system, dubbed System 001/B.

This variation of System 001 entails modifications aimed at addressing the plastic retention issue we faced with Wilson. To learn quickly and achieve faster iterations cycles, speed is key with this design. This is how we got there and what our next steps will be.

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May 24

CEO and Founder, Boyan Slat, details the design modifications for System 001/B. These upgrades entail two options to speed up the system or slow it down.

Additionally, by taking a modular approach to the design, we can iterate at a much swifter speed and adjust the technology as we learn more. All with the aim of reaching proof of technology and commencing cleanup of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch as soon as possible.

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April 01

System 001 - The Root Cause Analysis

With the root cause analysis complete, results are now being incorporated into design upgrades ahead of system relaunch in the coming months.

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General

System 001/B – The Mission Plan

In our last update, we shared the modifications to our system design and how we plan to test them in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch this summer. Now, only one month…

Research

Mission One Environmental Monitoring Results Available

The Ocean Cleanup is developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. The passive drifting system, also known as System 001 or “Wilson”, was deployed in the Great…

Engineering

System Design Upgrades Completed, to be Relaunched in June

After the root cause analysis was finalized, the engineering team began working on solutions that we can start trialing in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in June. The upgraded design,…

Research

Whales likely impacted by Great Pacific Garbage Patch

A scientific note we published on April 09, 2019 reports the records of whales within the world’s largest accumulation of floating ocean plastic: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Over the…

Engineering, General

System 001 Learnings – Root Causes Summarized

In September, we launched our first system, with the aim of achieving proof of technology and commencing cleanup. Twenty years after the discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, this…

Discussion, General, Oceanography

The Ocean Cleanup and the Neuston

On January 22, an opinion piece was published in The Atlantic, originally titled “The Ocean Cleanup Project Could Destroy the Neuston.” Since preventing the destruction of ocean ecosystems is the…

Oceanography, Research

Where Mismanaged Plastic Waste is Generated and Possible Paths of Change

As we kick off 2019, the engineering team is working towards solutions to the challenges we face with System 001, while the research team remains focused on the study of…

Oceanography, Research

Chasing Plastics: How to Close the Ocean Plastic Mass Balance

At The Ocean Cleanup we believe that you cannot solve a problem if you do not fully understand it. For this reason, we have put extensive efforts into fundamental plastic…

General

Wilson to Return to Port for Repair and Upgrade

Due to a structural malfunctioning of the cleanup system, today we made the decision to return to port earlier than planned. We will set sail as soon as an appropriate…

General, Testing

Testing Continues to Understand System Behavior

Shift 3 has recently arrived at the System 001 location in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), where a series of tests will be conducted to help us understand why…

System 001/B – The Mission Plan

System Design Upgrades Completed, to be Relaunched in June

Mission One Environmental Monitoring Results Available

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System 001/B – The Mission Plan

Mission One Environmental Monitoring Results Available

System Design Upgrades Completed, to be Relaunched in June

Whales likely impacted by Great Pacific Garbage Patch

System 001 Learnings – Root Causes Summarized

The Ocean Cleanup and the Neuston

Where Mismanaged Plastic Waste is Generated and Possible Paths of Change

Chasing Plastics: How to Close the Ocean Plastic Mass Balance

Wilson to Return to Port for Repair and Upgrade

Testing Continues to Understand System Behavior