I am very excited to be working with Adventure Scientists to continue providing samples for their ongoing global microplastics project to create a database of microplastics proliferation throughout the world’s marine and freshwater environments. During my time in Scandinavia next summer, I hope to sample freshwater sites along the Nordkalottleden to send back to the U.S. for analysis.

When I sampled marine water during the 2015 Iceland Run (which you can read about on the ASC site), 4 of the 5 samples I submitted contained between 4 and 10 individual pieces of plastic each — even in the seemingly pristine waters of the southern Arctic Ocean!

By sampling fresh water in Norway, Sweden, and Finland in 2017, I will add to a growing microplastics database and help scientists determine whether the backcountry of Scandinavia will also indicate the rapid increase of microplastics in the environments around the world.