Challenge 1:
Understand and beat marine pollution

Understand and map land and sea-based sources of pollutants and contaminants and their potential impacts on human health and ocean ecosystems and develop solutions to remove or mitigate them.

The Antarctic Ocean is widely perceived as a pristine ecosystem. However, recent studies have found that the amount of plastic in its waters is five times higher than expected, demonstrating that marine pollution is a global problem affecting even the most remote areas of the Earth. Traces of microplastics have been found in all layers of the Antarctic Ocean, including the sea floor off the coast of the South Pole, threatening its fragile ecosystems and biodiversity. Studies of plastic pollution in the Earth’s remotest environments have demonstrated the need to further develop efficient, tangible strategies for mitigating and preventing degradation of ecosystems.