Pellet Alert is a community, volunteer based monitoring programme which aims to investigate the occurrence, distribution and behaviour of plastic resin pellets in the coastal and inshore marine environment and draw attention to the harmful consequences to marine and shore life posed by them. We hope to add other forms of very small plastic pollution and micro plastic pollution into the monitoring programme over time.
Individuals, groups, schools or organisations are welcome to participate in the monitoring programme. For schools an education kit comprising suggested lesson plans is being developed and will be trialled in 2008. The theme of the kit is to sample plastic resin pellets as part of a beach cleanup while examining the wider marine debris issue.
- The basic activity of the Pellet Alert monitoring programme is for participants to collect a sample of 50 plastic resin pellets from a given beach and send these together with the data sheet to Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society for analysing and recording. A basic kit and sample form are available for download from this site.
- A second (optional) level of activity involves a survey where all the plastic from a small defined plot is retrieved and counted. Pellets and counting results are then sent to us for analysis.
- The third (optional level of activity ) – a continuation of the survey above – involves classifying the pellets and sending the results to Tangaroa Blue Foundation
Data will be made available on our website together with periodic reports about the programmes findings.
To become a participant simply contact wally@tangaroablue.org
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