There is a growing concern over the ubiquitous distribution of plastic
pollution that is evolving in the Beaufort Gyre in the Arctic Ocean,
prompting international collaboration and new environmental measures.
Marine pollution is recognised as an immediate threat to both land and
marine ecosystems. Satellites have proven useful in identifying ocean
plastic patches and current movements in other oceans but little
research has been applied to the Arctic, a region that impacts eight
countries making up the Arctic Circle. This interdisciplinary team
project investigates the use of Sentinel-2, Sentinel-6,
Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy, stratospheric balloons and autonomous
underwater vehicles to provide an integrated strategy, including
communication and outreach, to tackling marine plastic pollution while
recognizing that it is necessary to also prevent plastics from entering
the ocean in the first place.
