More than 300 experts will gather in Iceland for 3 days in October to discuss marine plastic pollution, following findings of plastic in some of the planet’s most remote waters.
The event organisers say that plastic pollution is reaching every part of the ocean. Further to this, UNEP reported earlier this year that more than 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, joining the estimated 75 – 199 million tonnes already there.
Worse though, plastic pollution is now detected in the Arctic and Antarctic – the furthest away from civilisation. Microplastics are also increasingly found in animals, marine organisms, humans, the seabed and ocean surface.
The event held by global leaders and the Government of Iceland (Third International Symposium on Marine Plastic Pollution) will bring together experts to discuss research, policy and solutions to the global crisis – including the latest science and innovations.
According to the organisers, one of the key takeaways from the previous symposium was that much of the plastic found in the Arctic originates from distant regions. This underscores the need to better understand and trace the pathways through which plastics move in marine environments.
As a result, this year’s event is broadened to include focus on the entire Atlantic Ocean and adjacent connected seas.
