Clean Sailors teams up with the Sail & Explore Association on ocean plastics
28 January 2021
09:00 GMT
Clean Sailors has teamed up with The Sail and Explore Association to strengthen awareness of ocean microplastics amongst the global sailing community.
UK-based Clean Sailors and Swiss organisation, the Sail and Explore Association have joined forces to help educate, inspire and encourage sailors and civilian scientists on solutions to the ocean microplastic crisis.
Studies show that up to 10 million tons of plastic end up annually in our oceans, with plastic being found not only on the water surface, but also in the deepest regions of the sea and the Arctic. Plastic does not degrade naturally in the environment; it simply breaks apart into smaller plastic particles, called microplastics (< 5 mm) which stay in our waterways and oceans for decades, if not hundreds of years. More recently, microplastics have also been found in human tissue, and whilst the health of impacts of microplastics in our bodies is not yet clear, various studies on microplastics show that they can transport bacteria and leach chemicals into our environment.
“Partnering up with Clean Sailors is for us a great opportunity to reach out to the sailing community, to foster the awareness about the global plastic pollution problem, to give visibility to our scientific work and last but not least to share our passion”, Dr. Roman Lehner, Scientific Project Lead and Co-founder of The Sail and Explore Association says
“We are super excited to be partnering with Sail & Explore, who share our passion for sea, sailing and science. Showing first-hand what microplastics are, how they become so prolific in our oceans and what we can do about them is incredibly important in us all helping us to adapt our living and sailing habits, and better protect our seas”, says Holly Manvell, Lead and Founder of Clean Sailors, “We can’t wait to share more on what Clean Sailors and Sail & Explore will be working on, over the course of 2021!”
About
Sail & Explore Association
The Sail and Explore Association is a non-for-profit organisation committed to marine conservation including plastic pollution and shark & ray research by combining sailing, science and education in order to find solutions and strengthen awareness. To tackle the plastic pollution problem, Sail and Explore conducts sailing expeditions with citizen scientists to collect data of meso- and microplastics to gain a better understanding on the type, quantity and presence in our oceans. So far, their focus lies on three different study grounds, the Azores, the Mediterranean Sea and the Great Barrier Reef marine park in Australia. To push the field of microplastic research all the outcome of each single expedition will be published in a peer reviewed scientific journal.
The Sail and Explore Association is lead by Dr. Roman Lehner, Scientific Project Lead, Co-founder and a researcher of micro and nanoplastics and their impact on human health.
Clean Sailors
Clean Sailors is UK-based not-for-profit, mobiliising the global sailing community in conservation of our oceans.
Launched in July 2020 and with a clear focus on sea, science and sailing, Clean Sailors is founded on the understanding that sailors love the sea, and works to encourage sailors all over the world in accepting their role as guardians of our oceans.
With a Crew based the UK and Europe, Clean Sailors raises awareness of ocean conservation issues through research and partnerships with leading, front-line organisations, and shares practical tips and resources on more sustainable sailing practices, thereby setting a new standard of sailing and sailor.
The Clean Sailors Crew are led by Holly Manvell, a keen sailor and advocate for a cleaner, healthier environment.