Webconference #Ocean Calling
Maritime microplastic pollution
On Monday, January 30, 2023, live from the Hager Forum, Fabrice Amedeo and his science partners presented the results of the analysis of microplastic samples collected in the Atlantic whilst sailing the Vendée Globe.
Watch the replay below.
The speakers
Fabrice Amedeo
Sophie Lecomte
Director of the CBMN Institute, expert in vibrational spectroscopy
Jérôme Cachot
University Professor at the University of Bordeaux, Lab. EPOC
Christophe Maes
Research Fellow IRD, Lab. D'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale
Maria El Rakwe
Research engineer in chemometrics at IFREMER
Sailing for science
Fabrice, who sails all the seas of the globe and crosses remote regions where scientific expeditions cannot go, decided to put his 60' IMOCA at the service of the international scientific community. With the support of his partners, he installed oceanographic sensors on board his boat. Measuring and recording DNA, microplastics, CO2 content, salinity and changes in water temperature – the three oceanographic sensors installed make the best of every mile sailed.
The collected data allows scientists to better understand the impact of global warming, greenhouse gases and pollutants on the oceans.
Earlier results
Previously, using 300 µm filters, his collected 53 samples. The evidence, presented in March 2022 in Onet, showed that:
- the surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean are twice as polluted by cellulose fibres as by microplastics
- The North Atlantic is more affected by plastic pollution than the South Atlantic. This throws up new questions about the dynamics of the subtropical gyre (microplastic concentration zone) since the pollution levels measured there are lower than expected.
New findings
This time, Amedeo used 100 µm mesh filters to collect extremely small plastic residue.
Picture Gallery
A scientific project supported by Hager Group
"By contributing to scientific work on plastic pollution and promoting low-carbon navigation, Fabrice Amedeo is raising awareness and helping to preserve our environment. As a family business with strong values, our goal is to make our ecological footprint as small as possible to preserve future generations. This is why we actively support Fabrice and work with perseverance and humility for a more energy-efficient and less polluted world.
Matthieu Alexandropoulos, Director of Sustainable Development, Hager Group.
