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Monitoring Plastic Density in the Ocean: A Comparison of Approaches
Summary
This study reviewed monitoring approaches for assessing ocean plastic density, focusing on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) which contains an estimated 1.8 trillion plastic pieces weighing 79 tonnes, and examined the emerging potential of AI-based imaging technologies for large-scale plastic quantification. The review highlighted a shift from manual detection to AI-based algorithms for monitoring plastic debris, including remote sensing methods developed by The Ocean Cleanup targeting 90% ocean plastic removal by 2040.
Plastic pollution has been a global problem that threatens marine life, with an estimated 50 to 75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics currently in Earth's oceans.One major ocean plastic accumulation zone, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), forms in the subtropical waters between California in Hawaii and is estimated to contain over 1.8 trillion plastic pieces weighing 79 k tonnes.The long-term accumulation of plastic in aquatic environments generates considerable environmental harms, including through ingestion by marine animals such as zooplankton, cetaceans, seabirds, and marine reptiles.Plastic pollution is a global crisis that no nation or continent is immune to, requiring remedial action from the scientific community.Among new developments in microplastic pollution research is the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI)-based imaging technologies.The potential of artificial intelligence to quantify plastic debris is an on-going process where scientists pivot from manual detection to AI-based algorithms to detect marine litter abundance.This method of remote sensing, published by researchers from The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization that aims to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic pollution by 2040 in areas such as the GPGP, could serve as a new tool to monitor plastic accumulation consistently and systematically in offshore regions.