The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology teamed up to undertake a microplastics research and Ocean Literacy project linked to the Japan-Palau Goodwill Yacht Race—celebrating 25 years of Palau’s independence.
On 29 December 2019, an all-female research team, together with children and their parents from Palau, boarded tall ship ‘Miraie’ and embarked on a 17-day expedition from Yokohama, Japan to Koror, Palau. Their goals was to collect marine plastic pollution data in the western North Pacific Ocean—an area expected to have high density of microplastics that is currently insufficiently surveyed.
They also aimed to educate young people about the impact of human activities on the ocean, and how we can help. Young leaders are the driving force for protecting our ocean and the channels through which individuals, schools and communities can change their consumption habits. Read more…
