In early 2020, our team came together to launch this new space for scientists from different fields with an interest in the origin and fate of ocean plastics. The Ocean Plastic Webinars series is an accessible means of communication, allowing scientists to network efficiently, share their research, and exchange ideas. 

WHY WEBINARS? 

Going virtual has two main advantages:

- The issue regarding ocean plastic is both global and fast-moving, as are the scientific communities working on it. Webinars will enable scientists to interact regardless of their level, field, location and ability to travel to international conferences. 

- In light of the pollution emitted by travelling, we as scientists need to rethink our ways of sharing our research. Substituting this travelling for virtual interaction is an opportunity to limit our carbon footprint and enhance our global collaborations. 

WHY OCEAN PLASTIC?

Current estimations show that an expected total of up to 250 million metric tons of plastic could end up in the oceans by 2025 (Jambeck et al. 2015). With the wide-ranging potential impacts on marine life and human health still requiring intensive research, we aim to create a space where biochemists, ocean modellers, deep-sea biologists etc can meet, collaborate and undergo interdisciplinary 'open science' global efforts to uncover these knowledge gaps. 

On December 8th from 11am to noon (Paris time) it will be a 30-min talk followed by 30-min Q&A streamed live on our YouTube channel.