Plastics in our oceans
All studied coastlines have been found to contain plastics, from the polar regions to the tropics, and the waters of Rhode Island are no exception. OSIMAP is a collective of projects, researchers and agencies who are working to better understand the source, fate and impact of marine plastics in the state of Rhode Island and Southern New England.
Did you know?
Each year, we produce 275 million tons of plastic waste world wide
8 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean every year
Plastics have been found in every studied coastline, from the tropics to polar regions
85% of all marine debris is plastic
We estimate there are 5 trillion floating plastic particles in the surface waters of our oceans
The US recovers less than 10% of its annual plastic production
OPEN AND RIGOROUS SCIENCE
Improving our knowledge
Rigorous science
Internationally accepted standards in protocols are being followed to ensure comparability with other studies around the world.
Stakeholder involvement
Our science addresses the concerns of the stakeholders. Regular meetings between researchers and stakeholders ensure our results have direct impact.
Open data initiative
Our data will be made available on this website as it becomes available ensuring rapid engagement for stakeholders