As the awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean gyres has increased one solution has been gathering momentum – the Ocean Cleanup and boom solution proposed by Boyan Slat. The unease about this technology and its effect on floating marine life has been developing more recently. This blog sets out five reasons why this technology is causing concern. Having failed to cope with the rigours of the Pacific is has now returned to sea once more.

The Ocean Cleanup struggles to prove it will not harm sea life

Rebecca Helm Deep Sea News Blog ‘ I am deeply concerned that a project intending to collect plastic from the ocean’s surface, known as The Ocean Cleanup, will sweep up countless floating marine animals–collectively called the neuston–potentially putting whole ecosystems at risk. I’ve raised these concerns in an article for The Atlantic, and suggested potential changes to their system–like moving it closer to shore–that would protect the open ocean.

On Thursday, The Ocean Cleanup published a blog post in reply to my concerns. I was incredibly hopeful up until this point that they would listen. After all, my efforts to raise awareness have been met with tremendous support from fellow scientists and the general public.

I’m not going to lie, the frustration I felt when reading their response was real and heavy. I love this ecosystem, I wouldn’t be putting myself out there if I didn’t. But their response felt profoundly dismissive, not only of me, but of the scientific evidence. So this is my second attempt at explaining to The Ocean Cleanup, and to its funders, why it’s logic is flawed, and why it is putting entire species and whole ecosystems at risk as a result.  Click here to read more