TRANSBM LITTER - Citizen Science Survey

Do you want to be a Citizen Scientist?

Here's what you can do.

Make sure to keep an eye out when you are walking on the beach.
If you see any PET bottles, take a picture of the label (Both front and back)
Enter the details into the form using the below link.
Everyone can take part in this project. Make sure to bookmark this page so that it’s easier to come back and submit again.

Citizen science study on transboundary marine litter in Sri Lanka

80% of marine debris is estimated to come from land-based activities. Plastic pollution is a threat to the health of marine ecosystems globally. The ubiquitous transboundary movement of plastic wastes and microplastics is cause for greater concern, as its property and durability make their particles remain in the environment for longer period. Plastic can travel great distances and land far from their sources (even in the remote areas far from obvious sources & human contact), depending on their attributes. These mentioned plastics can act as an invisible threat with multiple & distant sources, potentially harming wildlife, marine life & habitats in Marine Protected Areas, in contrast to other direct anthropogenic impacts that can be managed locally. Although this is considered as a major environmental issue at present, studies & data gathering on transboundary marine litter are scarce. Hence, this preliminary study aims to understand the distribution and accumulation of transboundary marine litter along the Western coast of Sri Lanka. The survey will be conducted by The Pearl Protectors in Partnership with Federation of Environmental Organizations.

Objective

Key data gathered from this survey will be:

Country/region of origin
Composition of litter
Ocean current behavior
Transboundary marine litter travel time
Manufacture & producer of surveyed litter
Weather impact on the accumulation of litter

Furthermore, the survey intends to effectively utilize citizen science by allowing public contributions in gathering data. Final output of the survey will be an analytical report on the data collected which will be published to the public. The report intends to be used as a baseline database for subsequent surveys annually.

Project timeline

Monsoon winds play an important role generating currents waves and fluctuations on the surface temperature of the sea, specifically in the Indian Ocean, Data collection will be conducted once every month from April to December 2022, each representing a specific phase of the monsoon season. The survey will be completed in December 2022. A one page brief update on the progress will be shared with partner organizations quarterly.

Timeline of data collection as follows:

April

First Intermonsoon

May to September

South-West Monsoon

October to November

Second Intermonsoon

December

North-East Monsoon

Project Progress

Complete 38%

Survey Lead

Principal Investigator: Shalanka Ranjula
Survey Advisory: Muditha Katuwawala, Amila Sumanapala
Project Coordinator (back office): intern position
Research Assistants: 9 positions designated for each survey station

Sampling stations

Point 1- Negombo
Point 2 - Dungalapitiya
Point 3 - Uswatakeiyawa
Point 4 - Wellawatta
Point 5 - Dehiwala
Point 6 - Egoda Uyana
Point 7 - Wadduwa
Point 8 - Kalutara
Point 9 - Maggona

Citizen science data gathering

The survey will gather data through an extensive citizen scientist programme which intends to involve students from the academia, coastal communities and beach goers. An easy access online data gathering mechanism along with database will be established as part of the survey.