Quantifying Macroplastic Accumulation

One of the projects of Archipelagos marine conservation team is the study and assessment of the litter that is accumulating on coastal zones, waterways and wildlife areas here on Samos and Lipsi islands. This litter has the potential to cause many fatalities both on land in the marine environment. Macroplastics are plastic pieces larger than

Determining the Ratio of Microplastic in Zooplankton in Surface Waters Surrounding Samos Island

The presence of vast amounts of plastics in our oceans is cause for great concern for our marine wildlife due to their toxicity, persistence and ubiquity. With the production of plastics increasing, these pollutants are entering our oceans and breaking down into microplastics (MPs) at an ever-increasing rate. Microplastics are buoyant fragments of <5mm which

Spatial Distribution of Microplastics in Coastal Shallow Sediments in Samos Island

The Mediterranean Sea has one of the highest concentrations of marine plastic debris. As it is a semi-closed sea, dispersion of plastics is limited due to water circulation and tidal flow. Through mechanical degradation of wave action and abrasion by sand, this plastic debris is broken down in to microplastics (<5mm). Additional processes that enhance

Quantification of Microplastics in Dolphin Digestive Systems

With the worldwide increase in the production of plastics over the last century, in combination with the overall lack of plastic waste management, the impact of plastics on marine environments has become a critical concern. Microplastics develop from the degradation of larger plastics, such as plastic bottles, bags, and many other improperly discarded objects, that

Evaluation of Macroplastic Debris on two Beaches of Samos Island

The macro-plastic project primarily focuses on measuring the influx of waste items into the Aegean Sea onto specified beaches at the main Archipelagos Base. It is a renowned fact that human activity has had, an is continuing to have, a significant impact on the health of the environment and functioning of both marine and terrestrial

Comparison of Microplastics Found Within the Gastrointestinal Tract of Caretta caretta

Megan J. Kelly, University of Salford Lauren .J. Kageler, Dickinson College   The pollutions of the oceans is a rising concern of environmentalists and researchers worldwide. Plastic production and its usage in several fields, from food packaging over water bottling to clothing, increased in the last years. Being cheap in production and durable over a

In Search for Microplastics: Analysing the Content of a Loggerhead Turtle’ s Gastrointestinal Tract

At the beginning of November, a sea turtle stranding (Caretta caretta) on Psili Ammos beach allowed the start of a new study: micro-plastic research in stomach and intestinal contents. The sea turtle was necropsied and the gastrointestinal tract was removed and frozen for later lab work. Over the next few weeks, a number of papers

Current Projects Regarding Microplastics and Plastic Pollution

Studying Surface Water for Plankton & Microplastics In this project we collect sea surface water in the eastern Aegean Sea to find trends between the amount of plankton and microplastics and establish if a correlation exists. We hypothesise that greater quantities of plastics leads to fewer plankton in the neustonic layer leading to a greater