Microplastics, Ocean Health Lab The First Of Its Kind
The Yamaha Motor sponsored Seabin™ has launched its revolutionary Ocean Health Lab focused on Microplastics in Sydney through the Seabin Foundation.
The importance of the microplastics data is paramount with Seabin™ being the only service provider globally. Microplastics is a growing concern with research now looking into the connection between microplastics and neuro disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Located at the Australian National Maritime Museum on the edge of Sydney Harbour, the bright blue lab has been hand decorated by artists Bronwyn Smith and Gavin Chatfield from Gwiyaala Aboriginal Art. The chosen design serves as a reminder of the shared connection we all have to waterways and the oceans.
Exposed and accessible to the thousands of visitors the Darling Harbour precinct attracts daily, the Ocean Health Lab will serve several purposes, including educating future generations about the increasing impact microplastics have on our marine environment, something which aligns closely with Yamaha Motor’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Coinciding with the labs’ official opening was the delivery by Yamaha Motor Australia of a 6m Stessco Albacore boat powered by an F150 Yamaha outboard motor. The new vessel, provided through Yamaha’s Rightwaters Initiative, will streamline daily on-water tasks for the Seabin™ team, maximizing the efficiency of the new lab.
Learn more about the Yamaha Rightwaters Initiative
Officially opening the Ocean Health Lab, a proud Pete Ceglinski, CEO & Co-Founder of Seabin™, said that having a permanent location to generate ocean health data that will help save oceans around the globe is an amazing feeling. “Sydney is the first city in the world to filter the water for microplastics and other contaminants, and now together, we are benchmarking for the rest of the world to follow suit.” he announced.
“With the addition of the Yamaha boat, it should make things easier with data samples being dropped off or picked up around the harbour, the lab scientists now have their boat licenses also and are keen to get out on the water.”
Designed with the option of being powered by solar energy, the impressive 40ft science laboratory is dedicated to storing, drying, triaging, and recording microplastics as well as other marine litter captured from the more than 30 Seabins operating in Sydney Harbour. In doing so, Sydney becomes the first city in the world to monitor microplastics on a daily basis.
The Ocean Health Lab is not only a science and research facility, it has also been designed as a meeting place where research, citizen science, education, and community engagement can overlap. Staffed by two full-time marine scientists, and assisted by an army of enthusiastic volunteers, it will research the extent of the floating plastic pollution problem in Sydney’s waterways, with a particular focus on microplastics. The research will assist with the development of systems to address floating pollution issues in the form of new best practices, policies, and legislation. It will also enable Seabin™ to accurately develop critical baseline data to determine water quality as well as the health and progress of Sydney Harbour.
The lab is open for twice-daily tours, with bookings available through the Australian National Maritime Museum ticketing system. For more information, and to book a tour, visit the Australian Maritime Museum web page.