AZoCleantech speaks to Jenna Guffogg about their research on remote sensing and its use in coastal plastic waste. Guffogg talks about the extent of plastic waste in beach areas and how satellite imaging will improve the ability to track and remove it.
How did you begin your research into remote sensing and coastal plastic waste?
Initially, there were two separate interests. The research from my master’s degree focused on the use of satellite imagery to track long-term recovery in state forests after logging events, while in my personal life I was working to reduce my plastic footprint. While I was investigating research themes for my Ph.D., I came across an article by a European group that was investigating how satellites could be used to monitor ocean plastics. I pitched the research topic to my supervisors, and after a few months of investigation, we decided to proceed.
What is the current extent of plastic waste in coastal regions?
Given that there are now 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the oceans, and how easily these can move around, this is a problem that can affect almost any coastline on the planet. But it is difficult to answer this with a concrete metric – beaches are one of several ‘sinks’ or accumulation points, and plastics in the ocean and coastal environments can change rapidly; a large storm can result in a significant deposit of plastic on what is otherwise a clean area.
What we do know is that some of the highest densities of plastic pollution have been recorded on beaches. Henderson Island in the Pacific Ocean is a good example of this- it is incredibly remote, no one lives there, but it has some of the highest plastic densities recorded globally because ocean currents bring debris there….ReadMore