Looking for boats Oahu-California in August

[TheOceanCleanup]

The Ocean Cleanup is a not-for profit Dutch organisation developing technologies to extract, prevent, and intercept plastic pollution. Our goal is to fuel the world’s fight against oceanic plastic pollution, by initiating the largest cleanup in history.

For this purpose, we are organising the largest ocean plastics research expedition later this year in August. The expedition will leave from Hawaii to collect data about the plastic loads in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We are thus looking for sailboats and motorboats travelling back to CA after the Transpac race, or independently, in order to collect data in the form of visual and trawl surveys.

The event will be broadcasted globally. All equipment and training will be provided, as well as financial compensation.

Please get in touch on megaexpedition@theoceancleanup.com for more information!

The Ocean Cleanup, developing technologies to extract, prevent and intercept plastic pollution

[Paul Elliott]

You might want to partner with the NOAA Marine Debris Survey program: | OR&R's Marine Debris Program
(the website focuses on shore-based survey, but they also have at-sea survey protocols and forms)

They have been organizing volunteer surveys conducted by boats returning to the mainland after the Pacific Cup, the Transpac, and i believe the Singlehanded Transpac and Vic-Maui Hawaii races. My boat has participated after the last three Pacific Cup races.

As for the debris removal portion of the project, how does it deal with the biological by-catch? In my experience transiting the NPAC Gyre there is much more animal and vegetable life in the top meter than any plastic debris.