The University of the Aegean start a series of tracking and quantifying plastic garbage in the sea, in 2018, called ‘Plastic Litter Project (PLP)’. The program aims to remotely locate, large quantities of plastics in the sea, aiming to remove them more efficiently.
Plastic garbage are a major problem for the oceans, as millions are ending up in the sea, impacting the marine ecosystem.
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Today, modern methods are being used to quantify the amount of plastics in the sea. Namely, drones and satellites can be used for this cause. If fact, a team from the University of the Aegean in Greece started an operation called ‘Plastic Litter Project (PLP)’, aiming to quantify plastics in the sea. This program aspires to remotely locate large amounts of plastics in the and then remove them.
In the tests of the program, artificial plastic targets are being used, which are then located by the European satellite Sentinel-2 and from other satellites from Planet. What is more, drones are also being utilized to locate and quantify plastics in the sea, using specialized cameras.
In the first trial in 2018, three targets of 100 m2 were used. It was proven that the possibility of locating plastics is possible. In addition, the test revealed the need for new data, which will be monitoring a large area, which would be impossible to be scanned otherwise.
In the second test in 2019, the area of the artificial plastics was reduced significantly and four new targets, 25 m2 each were created, in order to examine with a new scope the potential of satellite monitoring.
The tests have now taken an international dimension and have been presented in international conventions, while their results have been published on scientific magazines.
Plastic Litter Project has the support of ESA, while Argans Ltd (Αγγλία), the University of Cantiz and CNR-ISPMAR, also took part in the program.
Both tests were realized with the help of Lesbos.
