Keep New Zealand Beautiful

Citizen scientists Upstream Battle

Did you know that marine litter isn’t always a result of human activity at sea? The problem usually starts on land! Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Upstream Battle citizen science programme gets students, teachers, volunteers and other citizen scientists out collecting litter at key upstream sites, such as beside rivers, lakes and streams to help create a better understanding of the root causes of ocean pollution.

Marine litter is a huge concern with the National Geographic estimating that 80% of ocean litter globally comes from land. It’s then often brought indirectly to the sea by rivers, sewage, storm water, or winds, polluting ocean ecosystems and harming both wildlife and humans.

There are very few details known about this litter though – for example where it comes from (and how much) or what exactly is making its way from the land to the ocean through our waterways. We believe ocean conservancy begins with a better understanding of the root causes of ocean pollution and through our Upstream Battle programme we hope to get a better picture of what’s going on. That’s where you come in!

Text and image from Keep New Zealand Beautiful