The Clean Planet Foundation has announced the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute as the scientific leader for its groundbreaking Clean Planet Peninsula project. This initiative represents a significant step forward in the global study of environmental pollution, with a specific focus on microplastics in the Polar regions.
As a leader in microplastics research, the University of Portsmouth brings a wealth of expertise to the project. Led by Professor Fay Couceiro, Head of the Microplastics Research Group, the university will provide scientific direction and enhance the training components of the project. Professor Couceiro and her team have a renowned reputation for their comprehensive approach to studying microplastics, covering everything from their origins and distribution to their profound impacts on the environment and human health.
The Clean Planet Peninsula project, the flagship initiative of the Clean Planet Foundation, aims to investigate and compare the presence and impact of microplastics in the Arctic and Antarctica while offering enhanced training courses to early research scientists. This pioneering research will analyze samples collected from water, ice, and air, creating the first direct comparison study of these critical regions.
The project will begin in August with a field skills training course in Dartmoor, UK, building on the success of its pilot year in 2023, which was featured across the BBC. Led by British polar explorer Antony Jinman in collaboration with the UK Polar Network (UKPN), the first year of the course will host 25 participants and include scientific lectures from experts at the University of Portsmouth.
The Clean Planet Foundation will fully sponsor the project for its three-year duration, covering all costs associated with research, field expeditions, and data analysis. The ultimate goal is to publish the results, contributing vital new insights to the global discourse on environmental conservation and microplastic pollution. The application deadline for participants to join the course is May 31st.
“We are immensely proud to collaborate with the University of Portsmouth for this project, leveraging their world-leading expertise in microplastics. This collaboration will enable the project to further address the global environmental challenges through cutting-edge science and education.”
Said Dr. Katerina Garyfalou, Project Director of the Peninsula project from the Clean Planet Foundation.
The project aims not only to advance our understanding of microplastics but also to educate and empower a new generation of environmental scientists. The involvement of the University of Portsmouth ensures that the research conducted is of the highest scientific rigor and that the findings will significantly impact global environmental policies and practices.
“Collaborating with the Clean Planet Foundation offers an extraordinary opportunity to expand our research into the impact of microplastics on some of the most remote and pristine environments on Earth. By comparing data from the Arctic and Antarctica, we aim to uncover truths about microplastics that could drive significant changes in environmental policy worldwide.”
Said Prof. Fay Couceiro, Professor of Environmental Pollution at the University of Portsmouth, Director of Postgraduate Research, Head of the Microplastics Research Group, and Senior Editor of Cambridge Prisms: Plastics.
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