Monitoring the presence of plastics in marine environments
In the heart of Aotearoa, scientists are using innovative technology to tackle one of the world's most pressing environmental issues - ocean plastic pollution. The Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge has developed an interactive computer model known as the Ocean Plastic Simulator.
This groundbreaking tool models the movement of virtual plastic dropped into the ocean, providing insights into where it might end up after 30 days. The virtual plastic particles represent macroplastics, such as water bottles, that float three meters beneath the water's surface.
The Ocean Plastic Simulator takes into account the interconnectedness of the sea and the coasts, simulating the effects of tides, winds, and currents on the plastic's movement. It's one of several tools created to support an ecosystem-based approach to managing the environment.
Heni Unwin, a Kairangahau (researcher) at Cawthron Institute, has been collaborating with the Sustainable Seas Challenge to improve the function and design of the Ocean Plastic Simulator. Unwin has also been trialing the simulator with schools around Aotearoa to refine its capabilities.
The simulator considers plastic waste generation and mismanagement, including littering and leakage from marine activities. It tracks plastics as they enter the ocean and moves them according to oceanographic data and probabilistic dispersal models, allowing assessment of plastic distribution around New Zealand’s coasts and marine communities.
The Sustainable Seas Challenge has also created resources for teachers, including the 11 Hui-te-ana-nui: Kaitiakitanga cards, which introduce key elements of kaitiakitanga. The Challenge has also participated in citizen science projects such as Mizuiku Upstream Battle, Litter Intelligence, and Litterati, which aim to understand and address the root causes of ocean pollution.
Moreover, the Sustainable Seas Challenge has partnered with organisations like Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor to help rethink plastic and reduce plastic pollution. They have also launched a new website called Tohorā, focusing on geography and social sciences resources.
Scientists use models like the Ocean Plastic Simulator for ethical reasons, as it would not be acceptable to drop plastic bottles in the sea to observe their movement due to the risk of adding to the pollution problem.
In March 2019, the Ocean Plastic Simulator was shared as part of a LEARNZ virtual field trip. The simulator includes an interactive panel with information about plastic oceans, the deep connection Māori have with the natural world, and the computer modeling behind the simulation.
Millions of tonnes of plastics enter the oceans every year and do not biodegrade but break into smaller pieces. The Ocean Plastic Simulator is one of a number of tools created as part of the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge to help combat this issue and support an ecosystem-based way of managing the environment. The Challenge was a New Zealand science initiative that was funded by MBIE and finished in June 2024.
- Technology, such as the Ocean Plastic Simulator, is being utilized by scientists in Aotearoa to promote sustainable living by addressing the issue of ocean plastic pollution, a critical aspect of environmental-science.
- With the Ocean Plastic Simulator, scientists model the movement of macroplastics in the ocean, taking into account factors like tides, winds, and currents, providing valuable data-and-cloud-computing to better understand and combat plastic pollution.
- In collaboration with schools around Aotearoa, Heni Unwin, a Kairangahau at Cawthron Institute, is refining the design and function of the Ocean Plastic Simulator, aiming to empower the next generation to contribute to the fight against ocean pollution.
- To support an ecosystem-based approach to managing the environment, the Sustainable Seas Challenge has partnered with organizations like Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, advocating for a shift towards a home-and-garden lifestyle that minimizes plastic use and promotes sustainable living.
