Just two days after the world Mother Ocean Day, a team of International Space University students present their findings and recommendations to the world community on how space technologies can help tackle the challenge of plastic pollution in the oceans, with a case study on the Arctic Ocean.
What makes our planet incredibly unique is the abundance of water in liquid form on its surface. The oceans are the cradle of life as we know it and that is why we should safeguard their health at all costs. This year, 15 Master of Space Studies students contributed to the cause by focusing on the role of space technologies in monitoring plastic pollution in the oceans.
As many as 5 “islands” of plastic, known scientifically as gyres, have accumulated over the years in different oceans, and a sixth is forming in the Arctic one. The pollution has a strong impact on human life, posing health and economic risks that can no longer be neglected. After an interdisciplinary research work, the students developed an integrated strategy to respond to the challenges posed by plastic pollution, using some cutting-edge space technologies.