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Meet eXXpedition Ambassador Nikkey Dawn, sto

Meet eXXpedition Ambassador Nikkey Dawn, storyteller, photographer, and marine debris expert!

Whether it’s educating water-sports community groups about plastic pollution, or inspiring people through her writing, Nikkey has been busy using her storytelling superpower to take action.

Follow the #linkinbio to our blog to read about Nikkey's adventures since joining us for the North Pacific Leg 2 Voyage.

#photography #storytelling #eXXpedition #womeninscience #plasticpollution #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marineresearch

Photo Credits: @nikkeydawn @sorayaearth Karina Erhardt, and Agathe Bernard.

Meet eXXpedition Ambassador Sofía Nogués, ocean

Meet eXXpedition Ambassador Sofía Nogués, ocean advocate and communications specialist at Clarivate @lifeatclarivate .

We've been catching up with Sofía about the impact she has been making to tackle ocean plastic since returning from Round the World Leg 5.

Follow the #linkinbio to our blog and discover how Sofía is using her storytelling superpowers to create change and inspire action.

#changemaker #oceanplastic #oceanchange #womeninsailing #storytelling #communicator #youngpeople

Photo credits: Sophie Dingwall, Lily Stuart, Sofía Nogués

We’ve known since the 1970s that there’s plast

We’ve known since the 1970s that there’s plastic in the North Atlantic - but there’s not been continuous monitoring of the situation. There are lots of interventions coming into place, attempting to stem the flow of plastics, like bans on single use items. The UN global treaty on plastic is being negotiated as we speak. But, we won’t know if implemented strategies are working without ongoing monitoring: If we ban polystyrene food containers, does that translate to less polystyrene in our environment? To what extent?

We hope our research plays a key part in building up a picture of what’s out there, monitoring how it’s changing over time, and evaluating whether certain solutions are working or not.

It’s not always easy to get scientific research out beyond the research community. But, through eXXpedition’s network, we’ll be able to get the paper in front of the people who need to see it, to different groups and stakeholders. We want to increase awareness of what’s out there in our ocean, so that anyone might re-examine their role in the flow of plastic; but we’re particularly hoping this monitoring can be used as evidence by policy makers, to support interventions and solutions.

We want to extend our gratitude to all the study authors, scientific partners, advisory board, vessel crew, shore team and guest crew - particularly @plymuni and @mercator_ocean and those on voyage legs 1-2 of eXXpedition Round the World. Thanks also to all our fantastic sponsors who enabled this research, especially @wearetraveledge @tomracollection @sap @perkinelmer @redensigngroup @11thhourracing and @slaughterandmaycareers

#sciencespotlight #eXXpedition #womeninscience #womeninstem #plasticpollution #changemakers #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marinescience #marineresearch

If there’s one thing our voyages reinforce, it’s the importance of working together to tackle ocean plastic pollution.

#sciencespotlight #eXXpedition #womeninscience #womeninstem #plasticpollution #changemakers #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marinescience #marineresearch

Ever wondered what a manta trawl is? It is one o

Ever wondered what a manta trawl is?

It is one of several pieces of equipment we used during our eXXpedition to collect samples whilst out at sea. The manta trawl is made up of an aluminium structure which (… you guessed it!) resembles a manta ray! It is followed by a 1.5 metre long mesh net, which collects surface samples as water flows through the ‘mouth’. Once recovered, the samples are filtered through a series of sieves to separate the various sizes of microplastics for analysing.

Another piece of equipment we used, that was crucial for collecting the sub-surface samples, was a Niskin bottle; a cylinder with stoppers at each end in order to seal the bottle completely. The bottle is deployed into the ocean, and once at the desired depth of 25 metres, a trigger closes the caps to collect samples. These samples are then vacuum pumped through cellulose filter paper to separate out the sample.

The samples were analysed both on board and in the lab at the University of Plymouth using an FT-IR machine to determine the different types of microplastics collected.

We also applied hydrodynamic modelling computer simulations, to backtrack where microplastics may have originated from, in the two years’ prior to the point we found them.

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This post is part of our Science spotlight series to share insights into our North Atlantic research findings. Check out the other posts to find out more!

📸 : Jamie Colman + Carry Somers

#sciencespotlight #eXXpedition #womeninscience #womeninstem #plasticpollution #changemakers #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marinescience #marineresearch

So what did we learn from our North Atlantic findi

So what did we learn from our North Atlantic findings?

We discovered, as expected, that plastic abundance varies by location. For example, the North Atlantic gyre contains a particularly high amount compared to other areas.

More novel and surprising was our discovery of the extent to which the polymer types differed between regions. Notably, we found a broad diversity of polymer types at our inshore sampling locations. The proximity to land and the sheer range of plastics indicate they come from a myriad of land-based sources.

In the gyre, on the other hand, while overall quantities were greater, most samples were composed of polyethylene, polypropylene and acrylic; which may come from the maritime sector.

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This post is part of our Science spotlight series to share insights into our North Atlantic research findings. Check out the other posts to find out more!

#sciencespotlight #eXXpedition #womeninscience #womeninstem #plasticpollution #changemakers #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marinescience #marineresearch

Over the next two weeks we will be sharing insight

Over the next two weeks we will be sharing insights into our North Atlantic research findings as part of our Science Spotlight Series. So where better to start than from the very beginning!

We embarked on eXXpedition Round the World in 2019 with some key questions: How much plastic is out there? What type of plastic is it? How is it distributed? And ultimately – can we gain a better picture of where it’s come from? Our mission was to enhance our understanding of the plastics issue as a whole, and to work with industry to identify solutions and policy at a global level by addressing knowledge-gaps and delivering evidence to inform effective solutions.

When the voyage first left the UK, we headed south for the Azores, then on to Antigua and the Caribbean.

In partnership with @plymuni and @mercator_ocean , we’ve published a research paper that documents our findings from that journey in the North Atlantic. The route took us through very different areas – we took samples from inshore waters, stretches of open ocean, and the North Atlantic gyre, a known area of plastic accumulation. We wanted to get an overview of the distribution of plastic, and the distribution of types of plastic – by identifying different polymers – in the upper portion of the ocean. Most research to date has focused on the surface, because it’s easier to assess, but we wanted to look a little deeper. We trawled for surface samples, but also used niskin bottles to capture water from a depth of 25 metres.

📸 - @nomadmnemonics and @sophiedingwall

#sciencespotlight #eXXpedition #womeninscience #womeninstem #plasticpollution #changemakers #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marinescience #marineresearch

Next Tuesday we will be hosting a virtual event, j

Next Tuesday we will be hosting a virtual event, joined by the authors, to share and discuss the findings of our recently published study of plastic pollution in the subtropical gyre in the North Atlantic Ocean on 10th January 3pm - 4:30pm GMT.

To register your interest in the event, head to the link in our bio!

📸 - @sophiedingwall

#virtualevent #sciencespotlight #eXXpedition #womeninscience #womeninstem #plasticpollution #changemakers #oceanplastics #microplastics #womenwhosail #marinescience

Reflecting on some highlights from 2022! Earlier

Reflecting on some highlights from 2022!

Earlier this month the second scientific research paper from eXXpedition Round the World was published as well as presentations of our Caribbean research findings at several events throughout the year.

From book launches to diving for ghost fishing nets, our Ambassadors have continued to use their superpowers to create change and inspire action against ocean plastic pollution.

And our SHiFT sessions and SHiFT ocean drinks continue to bring many inspiring people together to learn, network and collaborate on actions to tackle plastic pollution.

2022, you’ve been great. Bring on 2023 🌊🌊🌊

#oceansofchange #oceandecade #changemaker

Who remembers Leg 5 of our Round the World adventu

Who remembers Leg 5 of our Round the World adventure?

This time three years ago, we arrived on the shores of Panama, having sailed from Aruba through the beautiful San Blas.

To mark the anniversary, we wanted to share a few of our favourite memories.

Thank you to all the amazing people who helped us realise this expedition - our crew, our sponsors and of course, our ambassadors.

@redensigngroup @wearetraveledge @tomracollection

#changemakers #oceanhealth #womeninsailing #womeninstem #adventure #citizenscience #microplastic #aruba #panama

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