We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Regenerative Tides: Sailing for Solutions (ReTISS) : Impact assessment report, IMPETUS Citizen Science Initiative, June 2025 – January 2026
AI summary Read the abstract
Old fiberglass boats left to rot in the water can shed tiny glass fibers that shellfish absorb, and since we eat shellfish, this could be another way plastic-like particles get into our food. This pilot project trained everyday volunteers and students to map abandoned boats and check local oysters and mussels for these fibers, showing that citizen science can help fill data gaps and push for better ocean waste policies.
Abandoned and end-of-life glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, or fiberglass) boats are an under-recognised source of marine pollution. As hulls degrade, they release microfiberglass particles into coastal waters, where they can enter food webs through filter-feeding shellfish, with potential consequences for biodiversity, coastal livelihoods and human health. Although evidence of fiberglass ingestion by marine bivalves is growing, little publicly accessible, site-specific data exists on where derelict vessels are located and in what condition, a gap often cited as a barrier to policy action. This report assesses the scientific, social, environmental and political impacts of Regenerative Tides: Sailing for Solutions (ReTISS), a pilot citizen science initiative delivered during the IMPETUS Accelerator (June 2025 – January 2026) in Brittany (France) and the UK, with observations also contributed from Portugal. Using a structured protocol on the ArcGIS Survey123 and StoryMaps platforms, 32 citizen scientists contributed 77 georeferenced, photo-documented observations of abandoned vessels, published as an open, interactive map. In a school-based programme, students and teachers examined oyster and mussel gill tissue from the Goyen River estuary under the microscope for microplastic and fiberglass fragments, with input from a University of Brighton scientific advisor. The pilot was exploratory and not designed to be statistically representative, but it demonstrates that citizen-generated data can inform future research, monitoring and marine waste policy discussions. Five stakeholder events reached at least 370 participants. The report also maps contributions to Sustainable Development Goals 14, 4 and 5 and closes with practical recommendations for replicating community-led monitoring of end-of-life boats.
More Papers Like This
From the ocean to our kitchen table: anthropogenic particles in the edible tissue of U.S. West Coast seafood species
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified anthropogenic particles, including microplastics, in the edible tissue of six U.S. West Coast seafood species. The study found particles in nearly all individuals examined (180 of 182), with fibers being the dominant type at 82%, and evidence suggests that additional contamination may occur during processing from ocean to market.
Microplastic Pollution in Green Shells in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Literature Review of Determinant Factors and Management
AI summary Read the abstract
This literature review synthesized 35 studies on microplastic contamination in green mussels (a widely consumed shellfish), finding that fibers under 1 mm were the most common form and that both human and industrial activities drive contamination levels. Because mussels filter large volumes of water, they concentrate microplastics from their surroundings and pass them on to people who eat them, making shellfish a key pathway for human dietary exposure.
Impact of Fibrous Microplastic Pollution on Commercial Seafood and Consumer Health: A Review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microfibers, the most common type of microplastic in the ocean, contaminate commercial seafood species. Fish and shellfish ingest microfibers that accumulate primarily in their digestive tracts but can also reach muscle tissue that humans eat. The authors highlight gaps in understanding the food safety implications and call for more research on how microfiber consumption through seafood affects human health.
Microplastic occurrence and effects in commercially harvested North American finfish and shellfish: Current knowledge and future directions
AI summary Read the abstract
This review assessed the occurrence and effects of microplastics in commercially harvested fish and shellfish in North America, finding a paucity of data and inconsistent methodologies that limit risk assessment for fisheries and seafood consumers. The authors call for standardized monitoring protocols and more research on population-level effects in commercially important species.
Het kleine schelpentelboekje
AI summary Read the abstract
In 2018, over 400 volunteers in Belgium collected and counted 30,200 seashells on beaches, helping scientists track which shellfish species live in our coastal waters and how healthy those ecosystems are. This kind of citizen science matters because shellfish like mussels filter seawater and can absorb microplastics along with their food, meaning the same creatures many of us eat are also useful indicators of ocean pollution and climate-related changes that could eventually affect our food and health.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.