Marina Port de Mallorca recently welcomed the research team from the Expédition MED project during their voyage across the Mediterranean aboard the ship Bonita, which called at the marina for just over twenty-four hours for provisions before setting sail again.
The team is made up of researchers and volunteers from various universities who take water samples from different places in the Mediterranean to subsequently analyse their microplastic and nanoplastic content. After having studied more than five thousand samples, they found an average of 150 micro/nanoplastics in the water, showing the sheer size of the problem.
This pollution poses a direct threat to our marine fauna, affecting turtles, fish and seabirds that swallow these plastic fragments. What's more, these plastics are increasingly fragmented into microplastics and nanoplastics, making it difficult to eliminate them and causing a greater risk to both marine life and human health.
Upon arrival at the marina, the Expédition MED team welcomed children of the marina's clients aboard Bonita, who were given microscopes and magnifying glasses to examine these tiny fragments of plastic found in the water.
Expedition member Alan D’Alfonso Peral pointed out that "the fight against marine pollution is a collective struggle. Ocean currents play a crucial role in transporting plastics across the Mediterranean. Plastic debris travels vast distances driven by currents, and it's incredible to see how samples from different countries can be found in various areas of the sea. It's as if the Mediterranean connects all the shores, carrying with it a worrying pollution load".
Marina Port de Mallorca would like to thank the team of scientists working on this project, as well as Bruno Demontet (Founder of Expédition MED), Captain Giulio, Alan D’Alfonso (Founder of Geneseas), and Dr Guido Pianzola (Digital-AI Pathologist), whose commitment has been crucial in this vitally important mission. And we wish them the best of luck on their Mediterranean journey!
