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From coast to community: assessing marine plastic pollution impacts on ecosystems and human health in Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard through a One Health and technology-enhanced community monitoring approaches
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Researchers with the ICEBERG project used a One Health framework to assess marine plastic pollution impacts on ecosystems and human health in Iceland, Greenland, and Svalbard, working in partnership with Indigenous communities. The study identified microplastic contamination across coastal food webs in these Arctic regions and evaluated implications for subsistence harvesting.
Marine plastic pollution poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health, particularly in vulnerable Arctic regions. Therefore, assessing the extent and impacts of plastic contamination in these regions through a One Health framework is essential for developing strategies to build resilience in Arctic populations and ecosystems. The Horizon Europe ICEBERG Project addresses these challenges at the ocean-coast-land continuum, working in partnership with Indigenous peoples and local communities in south Greenland, northwest Iceland, and in Svalbard. ICEBERG integrates technology-enhanced community monitoring, such as drones and time-lapse cameras, with manual beach clean-ups for marine litter, citizen science and interactive data-sharing platforms. Researchers, local communities and civil society map pollution hotspots, trace sources, and assess ecological and health impacts of macro, micro-, nanoplastics. This community-driven data collection, supported by both low-tech and advanced technologies, offers a replicable model for tracking marine plastic pollution, studying its impacts and informing local policies to mitigate its effects. ICEBERG's multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach offers valuable insights into the impacts of plastic pollution in Arctic socio-ecological systems and emphasizes the need for sustainable, inclusive, and data-driven environmental management in polar regions.
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Building Arctic Resilience through Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence in Marine Pollution Control
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This paper describes the ICEBERG project, an EU-funded initiative using citizen science and AI-based monitoring to assess marine pollution in the Arctic and build community resilience to environmental change. The project combines Indigenous knowledge, drone surveys, and machine learning to characterize plastic, chemical, and microbiological contamination across Arctic coastal communities.
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Surface water sampling around Iceland found mesoplastics and microplastics at all six coastal sites, with nearshore locations near populated areas showing higher concentrations, suggesting local human activity contributes to plastic pollution even in remote subarctic waters.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.