05/07/2023
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2023 Coastal Research Expedition
There is an air of excitement within the Strandloper Project team as we prepare for the 2023 coastal research expedition, the 5th annual expedition.
This year we will be hiking from Blombos to Arniston to survey the shoreline for ocean plastic waste and washed up fishing debris.
Using a combination of 6 survey methods, we map plastic pollution, recording the density and distribution along the shoreline.
Following the above average autumn and winter rainfall in the region this year, we are particularly interested in surveying the shoreline flanking the Breede River to document the types and quantity of washed up plastic.
In the range that we have surveyed between Hermanus and Cape Recife, the Breede River is the longest river in the region, and passing more that 4 significant urban settlements, has the potential of being the worst contributer of plastic pollution flowing into the ocean following heavy rain and flood pulses.
The De Hoop Marine Protected Area will allow us an opportunity to determine the type and amount of fishing debris that is lost by fishing activities in the buffer zone around the MPA.
This year, due to a number of factors, our expedition is earlier that usual, and we start hiking from Blombos Nature Reserve on the 30th July and plan to finish in Arniston on either the 8th or 9th August.