Abby in Spain for Microplastics Conference

By Jenna Walenga
​Microplastics Program Manager

Abby Barrows presenting at the MICRO 2016 conference in Lanzarote, Spain. Photo: Chelsea Rochman

Microplastics Principal Investigator, Abigail Barrows, was in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain last week for Micro 2016.  The international conference, hosted under the patronage of UNESCO, brought together leading researchers in the field of microplastic pollution to discuss their work and encourage collaboration.

​Public knowledge on the issue of microplastic pollution is on the rise, due to the recent U.S. ban of microbeads in personal care products and new research exploring how much plastic ends up in our seafood. Abby spoke Wednesday to her scientific peers about the data set of more than 1600 samples that Adventure Scientists have been able to collect (88% of which contain plastic) for the Global Microplastics Initiative.

Micro 2016 addressed topics ranging from the distribution of worldwide microplastics to their effects on marine life and coastal communities.  It was an honor to work towards solutions with the international scientific community.

Abigail Barrows heads out for a dive with leading microplastics researcher Chelsea Rochman and a friend.