Beach debris research field trip conducted in Hólmavík, Iceland
Coastal and Marine Management students from the University Center of the Westfjords conducted beach debris research field trip near Hólmavík in the "Pollution in the Coastal Arctic" course.
Hólmavík is in the Strandir region of Iceland, which is a hotspot for beach debris because of the ocean currents that channel debris to this area, providing a good chance for the students to research the amount and types of debris.
Students collected 17 kilograms of debris from 800 meters of beach. Bits and pieces from fishing gear were common in the student’s findings along the beaches. Items were counted and categorized, and preliminary results show that 98% of the items were plastic (unidentifiable plastic pieces, bottles, fishing ropes and nets, styrofoam) while the remaining 2% included glass, metal, and wood.
Projects like this are important in identifying the sources of debris which then aids in creating solutions that target the sources of ocean pollution.
Read the full arcticle here.
University Centre of the Westfjords has been a member of the University of the Arctic since 2006.