Observadores del Mar

Microplastic Watchers
What the sea returns to us

More than 60% of the waste built up in the sea and on the coast of the planet is plastic. This material is very long-lasting but it also tends to break up into increasingly smaller particles called microplastics that can enter the food cycle as many marine organisms confuse them with food.

Scientific framework

Research centres, schools and other institutions are working on diagnosing and raising awareness of this global problem. To do this, they gather data about the presence and abundance of microplastics on beaches.

How to get involved

If you are an educational centre, an association or another group, get fully involved in researching and monitoring microplastics on the beaches in our sampling network. Diagnosing the build-up of micro-plastics gives visibility to the problem and its effects on the ecosystem.