Setting sail from Hawaii. Courtesy of The Situation Room/eXXpedition
More than 300 women will join a voyage around the world launching in October 2019 to highlight the disastrous impact of plastic pollution in the oceans and to conduct scientific research into the escalating crisis.
Millions of tonnes of plastic — from fashion fibers to food packaging and fishing gear — enters the sea annually leading some marine experts to warn there could be more plastic than fish by 2050.
The 2-year all-female voyage — organized by eXXpedition, a non-profit focusing on marine pollution — will collect samples from some of the world's most significant and diverse marine environments to build a picture of the state of the oceans.
The 38,000 nautical mile trip will take place in the Arctic, the South Pacific islands, the Galapagos Islands, and central ocean areas where plastic accumulates due to circulating currents.
Eight million tonnes of plastic ended up in the sea each year where it broke down into tiny fragments, that are the same size as plankton.
Emily Penn, eXXpedition Director and Sky Ocean Rescue Ambassador, at the helm. Image: Courtesy of Eleanor Church/Larkrise Pictures/eXXpedition
Those particles, along with plastic microbeads used in toiletries as well as other household products, can be ingested by marine life, harming ecosystems and the food chain.
Penn, the founder of eXXpedition in 2014, said that the solution was to "turn off the tap" on land and prevent the plastic from entering the sea in the first place.
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The research will focus on working out what types of plastic are present and which industries they have come from to tailor solutions.
Scientists who work closely with the University of Plymouth's International Marine Litter Research Unit will research the impact of plastic on animal, human, and environmental health as well.
Hawaii Cleanup. Image: Courtesy of Eleanor Church/Larkrise Pictures/eXXpedition
10 women from different disciplines and countries will join the 21-meter (70-foot) sailing boat S.V. TravelEdge for every stage of the 30-leg journey which leaves Britain on October 7h 2019.
Participants include scientists, filmmakers, product designers, photographers, teachers, and athletes, among others.
Crew performing on board research. Image: Courtesy of Eleanor Church/Larkrise Pictures/eXXpedition
They'll stop en route to talk to schools and communities, record the type of waste washing up on beaches, and conduct clean-ups.
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