Updates

Oceans, Research

Persistent legacy plastic fragments are rising disproportionally faster than larger floating objects in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Latest peer-reviewed publication reveals that legacy plastic fragments are rising disproportionally faster than larger floating objects in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Environment, Research

New research reveals no elevated densities of neuston within plastic hotspots inside the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Latest peer-reviewed publication reveals no elevated densities of neuston in areas targeted by The Ocean Cleanup’s clean up operations.

Research, Rivers

How Does Plastic End up in Rivers?

How much wind or rain is needed to start plastic moving on land - how fast will it move on different surfaces? Our latest research investigates how plastic moves from…

Research, Rivers

A Tale of 3 Rivers: Intercontinental River Research Collaboration

The Ocean Cleanup has partnered with leading universities across three continents to study plastic pollution in three urban rivers over three years in the Dominican Republic, South Africa and Thailand.

Oceans, Research

The Other Source: Where Does Plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Come From?

Our new study published today in Scientific Reports reveals that 75% to 86% of plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) originates from fishing activities at sea. While…

Oceans, Research

North Atlantic Microplastic Concentrations May Exceed Safe Levels for Marine Life Without Intervention

Our latest research suggests levels of microplastic pollution in the ocean water column may soon exceed safe limits for marine organisms, especially in areas of high plastic concentration.

Oceans, Research

Using AI to Monitor Plastic Density in the Ocean

Instead of mapping plastic pollution with trawls and airplanes, we have developed a more intelligent and effective way to detect and monitor plastic debris.

General, Oceans, Research

Where Does My Plastic End Up in the Ocean?

We developed a tool that visualizes the trajectory of plastic pollution by the click of a button - the Plastic Tracker, a web application that lets you see how and…

Environment, Research, Science

Neuston in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the Impact of Cleanup

Today, in Frontiers in Marine Science, The Ocean Cleanup published findings on the observed correlations between floating plastic and neuston in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). The relative distribution…

General, Research, Rivers

In Search of the Rivers that Carry Plastic into the Ocean

Our study - published today in Science Advances – estimates that 1000 rivers account for nearly 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into the ocean, made up of a high…