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THIS. NOW. Support a mission to save our oceans.
Aim
Raising money for a scientific research mission, which aims to raise awareness of the devastating impacts of single-use plastic and MORE.
Hello all and WELCOME!
Thanks for visiting, I'm so excited to be running this crowdfunder because the issue of plastic pollution is something I've been passionate about for a long time, and I thought that this year, I would try to be more proactive - so here we are!
I recently came across eXXpedition, a non-profit who specialise in all-women sailing trips with a focus on highlighting the devastating impact single-use plastic and toxics from land-based activities are having on our planet’s oceans, ecosystems and on human health. And my oh my, they really are having an IMPACT. When you look at some of the facts about ocean plastics, it's staggering:
- We use over one million plastic bags every minute worldwide (see a live count of the plastic bags used worldwide here: https://goo.gl/MT4bEW)
- By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (source: https://goo.gl/a2rZG7)
- Only 9% of plastic is recycled globally (more info: https://goo.gl/aozz5D)
- Many chemicals found in plastic have been linked to disease, and are found to be contaminating our bodies through food and other plastic consumer products
- Plastic debris also threatens marine and terrestrial wildlife through entanglement or by clogging their digestive tracts.
Along a sailing trip/voyage, the crew explore the scale of plastic pollution, and sample the ocean for plastics and pollutants that contribute to innovative scientific research to tackle the crisis which is listed in more detail below.
This year, eXXpedition are exploring the North Pacific, and will take on the challenging voyage of three thousand nautical miles between Hawaii > Vancouver > Seattle. They will journey through the densest ocean plastic accumulation zone on the planet, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and explore remote coastlines for plastic pollution on board 72ft exploration sailing vessel Sea Dragon.
The costs of running a vessel like this are pretty high, and this is where the fundraising comes in! I am fundraising to cover some of the costs of running the vessel (see below for more details). If you choose to donate, you are choosing to support the running of this voyage, and ultimately, the fight against plastic pollution, which makes you AWESOME.
Lastly, but certainly not least, I'm very excited to say that I AM POTENTIALLY JOINING THE CREW for part of the voyage this year, schedule allowing!! WOOP WOOP! eXXpedition take a diverse crew of 14 women with them, from all over the world. There will be filmmakers, scientists, businesswomen, environmental health professionals, artists and activists, all there to work and be involved in virtually all aspect of the voyage and operations. This includes supporting the science taking place on board, documenting the voyage, running the vessel, running outreach events to engage local communities and much more!
I think that's it for now! Please donate, tell your friends, spread the word - any and every contribution would be INCREDIBLE!
BIG LOVE,
Ellise xxxxx
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The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean and is home to incredibly diverse plant and marine life including six endangered species. The North Pacific Gyre is the largest ecosystem on Earth. Our journey from the tropical islands of Hawaii to the wild coastlines of British Columbia and the Pacific North West will inspire action to protect these great places of outstanding natural beauty and importance.
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The costs of running the boat:
Communications 4%
Logistics & Operations 24%
Professional Crew 24%
Maintenance 15%
Scientific Equipment 5%
Licensing + Insurance 11%
Port Services 4%
Food + Boat Supplies 9%
Fuel 4%
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SCIENCE ON BOARD
- Sampling the ocean for plastics and surface-feeding fish using manta trawl nets (data recording with citizen science app, Marine Debris Tracker: https://goo.gl/dSx1tD)
- Any caught fish are dissected to look for plastics in their guts; samples are preserved for toxics analysis by partner scientists
- Collected microplastics will be sent for assessment for POPs, PCBs and other toxic contaminants
- Partnering scientists will provide the information and protocols required to ensure that the samples and data are valid, and can be included in larger studies
- Each voyage may include other relevant scientific studies. For example, during eXXpedition Round Britain 2017 the crew also collected data on air and water quality during the sail.
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For anyone thinking of pledging and getting a hand-drawn picture from me in return, here are just a couple of examples of my work:
This project successfully funded on 12th June 2018