Project to clean up oceans

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Project to clean up oceans

by Beulah Maud Devaney

ocean-litter-590.jpg

Toxic Butts under a Creative Commons Licence .

A big project to get rid of plastic in the world’s oceans will begin soon with a test.

In the next few months, researchers from the Ocean Clean Up will put a 100-kilometre floating barrier in the sea, 23 kilometres from the coast of the Netherlands.

This could completely change the way we clear the sea. There is so much rubbish floating in the sea – it covers an area of several million kilometres.

This floating plastic barrier will not look for the rubbish. The currents in the ocean will bring the rubbish to the barrier.

The barrier can measure movement and see rubbish. In the test, it will see how much rubbish is pulled by rough seas and strong currents. If it is successful, there will be a second test in Japan at the end of 2016.

The project is by Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat. Many environmentalists have been worried about the rubbish in the oceans for a long time. Slat got more than $2 million for research in 2014 – the most successful non-profit crowdfunded project ever.

More information: www.theoceancleanup.com

NOW READ THE ORIGINAL: http://newint.org/sections/agenda/2016/03/01/ocean-litter-pick-off-the-netherlands/ (This article has been simplified so the words, text structure and quotes may have been changed).