Studying Plastic Marine Debris for More Than 35 Years

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PLASTIC PARTICLES COUNTED
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PLANKTON NET TOWS
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STUDENTS EDUCATED
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YEARS RESEARCHING
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PUBLICATIONS
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PLASTIC PARTICLES ANALYZED

Discover our role

Learn how we’ve been measuring ocean plastics since the 1980s.

Our story
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Explore our data

Navigate the world through the context of plastics collected in our plankton net tows. See where plastic concentrations are highest at the ocean surface. Sort by date, location, and concentration.

Data Portal

Learn about plastics

Read the sources, transport, and accumulation of plastics in the the ocean, and our data collection methods.

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Plastics at SEA: 2010 and 2012 Expedition Videos

“It’s an historic day…unfortunately.”

The mid-cruise update from the Plastics at SEA: North Atlantic Expedition in 2010 describes a record number of plastic particles observed by SEA students and scientists in decades of sampling plastic marine debris in the Atlantic Ocean.

Education and Outreach: Bringing the Gyre to the People

Learn how the crew of the Plastics at SEA: North Pacific Expedition 2012 work to bring the experience of sailing in the North Pacific subtropical gyre, and observing and measuring floating plastic debris to public, school, and museum audiences onshore.

Plastics at SEA: North Pacific Expedition 2012: Final Reflections

Plastics at SEA: North Pacific Expedition 2012 wraps up their 39 day voyage from San Diego, CA to Honolulu, HI.

Perspectives on Plastics at SEA

Captain Chris McGuire, Chief Scientist Giora Proskurowski, crew, and volunteer crew aboard the Plastics at SEA: North Atlantic Expedition 2010 share parting words as the expedition comes to a close.

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Do these facts surprise you? See how much you know about the current state of plastics in the world.

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