Description
International Journal of Space Studies Volume 2 Number 2, 2022
Space & Oceans: Tracking Plastic Polution in the Artic Ocean from Space
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.
Authors:
Stanislav Barantsev, Laura Beckett, Lorenzo Bichisao, Stephen Cashen, Harshitha S. Chavan, Thomas Chretien, Giulia Costella, Arya Gold, Kevin Guegan, Corentin Guémené, Finnegan Sougioultzoglou, Nigun Nagarajan, Kenneth Ray, Samee Rousseau, May Li Uy.
