RACE WITH PURPOSE
In partnership with the University of Portsmouth, GB Row will undertake a detailed survey of pollution around Great Britain’s waters.
The research will focus on five key themes of:
- Microplastics
- Underwater noise
- Environmental DNA (eDNA)
- Salinity
- Temperature
GB Row is pleased to be working with scientists from the University of Portsmouth to assess the environmental damage and long term impact of pollutants on our seas and oceans.
Support this vital research
This research is made possible by donations to the University of Portsmouth's Environmental Research Fund. Find out more and donate direct on their website: University of Portsmouth Environment Fund GB Row Challenge project
About the science
Throughout the 3,500km race, samples of microplastics, environmental DNA (eDNA), temperature, noise and salinity will be gathered by rowers with a range of sensors and equipment attached to their vessels.
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth will then analyse the samples. As the race progresses, a map of microplastic and noise pollution around the UK will be developed for the very first time.
The research will run for four years, starting in 2022, so we’ll be able to compare the data each year to track any trends or changes.
The full series of 'A look at the science' videos are posted on the GB Row Youtube channel
Our five Research Themes
Theme 1: Microplastics
Lead researcher: Dr Fay Couceiro
"There is currently no complete map for the UK concentrations of microplastics in the coastal waters. The closest map comes from Cefas, but is incomplete and does not show how concentrations change over time.
Data collected during the annual GB Row Challenge will significantly improve our understanding of the changing numbers of microplastics in our waters."
Dr Fay Couceiro
There’s a huge body of evidence showing the harmful impact of microplastics on aquatic life. Where plastics enter the ocean isn’t where they stay, however, and researchers are keen to understand how they move.
While microplastics sampling has been done before, it has never been as a continuous flow of data from around the UK. And that’s exactly what we’ll achieve.
Samples of water will be taken every day of the row, for a couple hours each day and then sent to the University of Portsmouth for processing. The end result will be a heatmap of microplastic pollution in the waters surrounding the British Isles.
The research will be examining microplastics above 50 micron in size — the very smallest size you can see with a human eye. The plastic fragments will be identified with a specialist microscope in the University labs, which can even detect the type of plastic found.
Theme 2: eDNA
Lead researcher: Prof Alex Ford
"We are extremely excited about the GB Row Race With Purpose scheme. Nothing like this has ever been done before and the data will be key for us as the leading Marine Biology Department in the UK".
Professors Steve Fletcher and Alex Ford of the University of Portsmouth
Other water samples will allow scientists to measure eDNA in fish and marine mammals. It will create a picture of what species are living in and around different areas of the coast and how these might be changing over time.
Cells that have shed from animals (eDNA) are picked up on the purpose-made water filter. University researchers will process the DNA to give an indication of species in the area, such as a whale or dolphin. This may prove helpful to verify other findings — for example, if the soundscape has picked up ‘clicks’ from dolphins, the eDNA may verify this and potentially identify the species.
As the team row past major river estuaries we anticipate a greater density of microplastics and chemical pollutants. We may also see a correlation with the distribution of species in relation to the pollutants present. It should paint a vivid picture of what's going on —- this is why the long-term data set is really important and useful.
Theme3: Biodiversity
Theme 4: Noise Pollution
Lead researcher: Dr Andrew Lundgren
Noise pollution is one of the major pollution problems in our ocean. As human activity expands, underwater soundscapes are changing. Habitats are increasingly dominated by human-made noise, which can have a range of impacts on marine wildlife – from behavioural disturbance to physiological damage.
Constant noise samples will be taken via an underwater microphone fitted to the boats, called a hydrophone. Hydrophones are commonly used to map sound in marine environments, but are normally static (monitoring what travels past) – our research will provide a continuous map of sound around the UK. We should pick up passing ships, drilling at oil rigs and wind farms and potentially noises from marine mammals. The research may pick up short-term variations too, such as increased noise on sunny days due to leisure boating.
The University will analyse the distribution of noise using technology typically used for space science! Dr Andrew Lundgren and the team at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation will use computer algorithms to identify changes in the soundscape.
Theme 5: Salinity and temperature
Sensitive temperature and salinity monitors onboard the GB Row boats will provide very accurate data, which may reveal changes year on year. Oceanographers can make good use of this data as it will be very accurate and it may prove useful to other scientists looking at climate-related impacts on wildlife distribution.
Support this vital research
This research is made possible by donations to the University of Portsmouth's Environmental Research Fund. Find out more and donate direct on their website: University of Portsmouth Environment Fund GB Row Challenge project
Find out more about the University of Portsmouth’s research into sustainability and the environment.