NOC Microplastics Symposium

Overview

On 13-14 November, 2024, The International SeaKeepers Society attended the NOC Microplastics Symposium, hosted in partnership with Perkin Elmer, at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. The symposium explored the various sources and ecological impacts of microplastics in both freshwater and marine environments, while comparing and contrasting the different analysis techniques and equipment used by researchers to investigate their hypotheses. Through research presentations, poster sessions and group discussions, the microplastics community highlighted the key knowledge gaps in the field and the importance of clarifying vocabulary, such as the term “microplastics” itself, to enable governments and policy makers to implement more effective conservation strategies. This symposium epitomised Perkin Elmer’s tagline “Science with Purpose”, enabling researchers from different disciplines to connect and propose effective solutions for mitigating the impacts of microplastics on both human and environmental health. The highlight of the symposium was the presentation given by Dr Katsia Pabortsava, NOC, the lead scientist for SeaKeepers Citizen Science Microplastics project, which aims to investigate the fate, distribution and ecological effects of microplastics in the global oceans. Her presentation discussing marine snow and the impact of microplastics on deep ocean habitats provided a fascinating insight into the far-reaching effects of microplastics across all aspects of the marine environment. Improving our understanding of the impacts of microplastics from a global perspective is essential if marine habitats are to be protected from this largely understudied pollutant. This symposium provided a great opportunity for researchers to come together and tackle microplastic pollution head-on. SeaKeepers look forward to attending the symposium again next year to learn more about the advancements made in this increasingly important field.

The International SeaKeepers Society attended the NOC Microplastics Symposium to learn more about marine microplastic pollution, raise awareness for the DISCOVERY Yacht Programme within the UK research community, and connect with the NOC scientists leading SeaKeepers’ Citizen Science Microplastics Project.