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the plastic ocean project |
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“We only protect what we understand.”
collaborative research |
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Pangaea Explorations—Sea Dragon |
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About Us |
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Bonnie Monteleone is a graduate student in the Liberal Studies Program at UNCWilmington. Her final project is to study plastic in the marine environment and beaches inside gyres . This will be her 4th open ocean voyage in less than two years. November 2010, she will set sail with Pangaea Explorations, 5 Gyres, and Algalita Marine Research to sample the South Atlantic. The month long journey will commence 11.8.10, leaving from Rio De Janeiro. Cutting across the center of the gyre and will arrive in Cape Town, Africa.
Dr. Ron and Portia Ritter are the founders of Pangaea Explorations. With 20+ years of research and exploration, the Ritters have dedicated the RV Sea Dragon to a long-term project of marine conservation, exploration and education. From September to July 2011, Sea Dragon and her expedition team will conduct the next important phase of exploration. Traversing the Southern Atlantic between South America and Africa, and then onto the South Pacific she will span two of the world's great oceans.
Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings are the founders of 5Gyres.org. Their mission is to study all five gyres in the world ocean to assess the impacts and roughly quantify the concentrations of plastics in the marine environment. As they travel the world surveying the ocean surface, they educate the masses on the problems and the solutions to this ubiquitous problem.
Previous Voyages Our voyage into the North Atlantic was a collaborative effort with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF), Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS), volunteer Jennifer O’Keefe, Director of Keep America Beautiful—New Hanover County NC, Grad student Bonnie Monteleone, University of North Carolina Wilmington and Urban Water Research Center, Irvine CA. Our first voyage was in July 2009 leaving from Hamilton Beach Bermuda to 75 km SE of Bermuda in the western region of the North Atlantic Gyre. Repeat sampling took place July 2010 within the same geographical boundaries.
Captain Charles Moore’s 10 year anniversary voyage from his first sampling of the North-Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch commenced in June of 09. Bonnie Monteleone joined the third leg, boarding in Hawaii traveling 3460 nautical miles to participate in the AMRF’s ongoing study of plastic particulates in the North Pacific Gyre.
We used a manta surface trawl to collect samples of zooplankton, plastic particulates and Myctophid fish as well as podcasting and blogging to the media and participating schools.
We used a manta surface trawl to collect samples of zooplankton, plastic particulates and surface feeders known as Myctophid fish as well as podcasting and blogging to school programs.
Captain Charles Moore’s 10 year anniversary voyage from his uncovering the North-Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch commenced in June of 09. Bonnie Monteleone joined the third leg, boarding in Hawaii to participate in the AMRF’s ongoing study of plastic particulates in the North Pacific Gyre.
We used a manta surface trawl to collect samples of zooplankton, plastic particulates and Myctophid fish as well as podcasting and blogging to the media and participating schools.
Another quest in is to visit Midway Island to document how our plastic trash has become the albatross* around the albatross’ neck. Plastics float in the water column, hence, look like fish. Albatross mistake it for food and feed plastics to there chicks increasing their mortality rate by large numbers. |
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Anna Cummings and Marcus Eriksen 5Gyres |
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Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science RV Atlantic Explorer |
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Algalita Marine Research Foundation RV Alguita |
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Bonnie Monteleone—UNC Wilmington N Pacific garbage from the patch |
