Scientists from the University of Plymouth are taking part in an all-female expedition studying plastic pollution in India.
A team of 15 scientists and engineers will take part in the Sea to Source: Ganges river expedition led by National Geographic, including Imogen Napper, a Research Fellow with the University’s International Marine Litter Research Unit.
The expedition aims to fill critical knowledge gaps around plastic flow, load and composition and offers an unprecedented opportunity to scientifically document plastic waste and develop holistic and inclusive solutions.
This is the first of several international river expeditions planned as part of National Geographic’s Planet or Plastic? initiative, which aims to significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastic that reaches the ocean.
via University of Plymouth
The scientists will be co-led by National Geographic Fellows Jenna Jambeck and Heather Koldewey – working in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the University of Dhaka and WildTeam and will focus on plastic pollution in three key areas: land, water and people.
The team will work with local stakeholders to translate their scientific findings using storytelling to raise awareness about plastic pollution and drive behaviour change, during the expeditions.
The same team also plans to replicate the expedition after the monsoon season to capture seasonal variation.
Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit, told the University of Plymouth: “I am delighted to bring our expertise to help support this project. Understanding and evidencing the role of rivers as pathways for litter to the oceans is of critical importance in helping inform interventions to help reduce plastic pollution in the environment.”
