Project description
Assessing plastic ageing on Hawaiian beaches
Two thirds of the plastic debris released from land into the ocean since the 1950s seems to have ended up on shorelines around the world according to recent global plastic pollution models. Our knowledge about the degradation, burial and transportation fate of marine plastic debris (MPD) is limited, but Hawaiian beaches are known hot spots for MPD. The EU-funded STORAGE project proposes a novel approach based on repeated field surveys of surface and buried MPD to study the physicochemical transformations induced by MPD ageing on Hawaiian beaches. The project will collect data from these surveys to generate 3D maps and assess temporal MPD fluctuation and accumulation zones. STORAGE envisions providing timely scientific evidence to support decision-making.
Objective
Recent global plastic pollution models predict that two thirds of the plastic mass released from land into the ocean since 1950s is likely to have stranded around the world’s shoreline. Yet, our knowledge about the degradation, burial and transportation fate of beached Marine Plastic Debris, MPD, remains limited and little is known about the exact capacity of beaches to store MPD. To fill in current knowledge gaps in global monitoring of MPD, we propose a novel approach based on repeated field-surveys of surface and buried MPD and studying the physico-chemical transformations induced by MPD aging on Hawaiian beaches, which are known hot-spots for MPD due to their proximity to the north pacific garbage patch. Data collected from repeated surveys of surface and buried MPD on beaches will generate 3D maps of MPD and assessment of temporal MPD fluctuation and accumulation zones of MPD with respect to the type, size and density of MPD present on the surface and in the sand column. Following the aging of plastic debris when stored on beaches will reveal dominating MPD transformations and rates, including fragmentation rates, which will provide key information (e.g. changes in density, buoyancy and fragmentation) to model fate (transportation and transformation) of MPD in coastal environments. We envision that outcomes from STORAGE can timely provide scientific evidence supporting decision making within the present and future legislative measures against plastic pollution prompted by the EU and global agreements. The interdisciplinary transfer of knowledge needed for STORAGE will be facilitated through stays at the Center for Marine Debris Research, (CMDR) at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) in the U.S. Laboratoire Structures Matériaux Avancés et Sollicitations Hyperbares (SMASH) at Ifremer in France and a secondment at the Research Team at The Ocean Cleanup office in the Netherlands, and brings together key actors in MPD analysis and sampling, plastic pollution modelling and polymer science.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
29280 Plouzane
France
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