Line of action:

Status:

Execution date:

General Objective:

The general objective of OBAM II is to continue with the monitoring and reduction of marine litter in the Fuerteventura Marine Biosphere Reserve, with special emphasis on the RN2000 areas, adding technological innovations and improving the digitalisation of the results obtained through synergies between different groups active in the fight against waste and improvement of marine ecosystems.

Specific objectives:

• Training and professionalization of the sectors.
• Monitoring of marine litter, both coastal, deep-sea and open sea, through synergies with different groups.
• Monitoring and evaluation for the conservation of habitats and species of interest.
• Determination of the traceability of microplastics as carriers of persistent chemical pollutants.
• Waste monitoring by remote sensing.
• Development of prototypes for the collection and classification of microplastics from fishing vessels.
• Sensitization and awareness on the protection, restoration of biodiversity and marine ecosystems and the impact of marine litter.

1. Promotion of knowledge about marine litter through forums and workshops.
2. Monitoring of marine debris in the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve (RBF).
3. Monitoring and evaluation of the state of conservation of habitats and species of environmental interest.
4. Traceability of microplastics as carriers of persistent chemical pollutants.
5. Tracking of plastics by remote sensing. The study area will be those known black spots in the OBAM and that are within the RN2000.
6. Development, installation and technical testing of a device for the sampling of microplastics from fishing vessels. The construction of a prototype unit that allows microplastics to be collected in seawater and separated by size coupled to fishing boats is proposed.
7. Awareness-raising actions on the protection, restoration of biodiversity and marine ecosystems on marine litter through the exchange and dissemination of good practices and experiences with the participation of fishermen and results with the general population.

The objective of this project is to increase scientific knowledge regarding marine litter through synergies with different groups. Fuerteventura is the Canary Island with the largest extension of beaches, and although scientific articles on the situation of marine litter on the islands have been increasing, there was no real diagnosis of the situation on the island. Thus, given that with the Marine Litter Observatory I it was possible to establish the type of waste most found on the coast and the main indications of what was happening in surrounding waters, with this second phase, significant innovations are incorporated to improve the monitoring of marine litter in collaboration with fishermen, new methodologies are added such as the remote sensing of marine litter (for those hot spots already found during OBAM and that are difficult to access) and the use of microplastic collection prototypes anchored to fishing vessels.

As a result, differences have been found depending on the context in which marine litter is found, with single-use plastic being even the most abundant, there is a significant percentage of the amount of marine litter derived from fishing. So much so that on the coast you can find, for example, a large number of sticks to fasten the ropes of the mussel rafts, labels typical of Canadian lobster farming, etc. However, in floating litter, what stands out are the recognizable rudimentary African longlines, and in underwater litter, waste related to land fishing, such as weight, nylon, etc., predominates. Knowing the source of origin of marine litter allows us to work cooperatively between agencies to reduce or eliminate, as far as possible, this waste.

The OBAM II project is differentiated into three blocks:
• Research. A scientific diagnosis of marine litter has been carried out in Fuerteventura, how does it affect marine fauna? What are the sources of origin? Etc. It is no longer a question of knowing how much arrives, but from where, what synergies can be established with this information to put an end to possible sources.
•Innovation. A study of different methodologies for the collection and detection of marine litter in hard-to-reach areas has been carried out. In this block, social innovation was also added for the revaluation of the marine waste found.
• Awareness and training. In which approximately 330 people from different sectors have participated.

Remote sensing of plastics with the hyperspectral program coupled to drones is a great tool to know the situation of areas that are difficult to access and to be able to organize management with the greatest efficiency. This program allows you to know the type of plastic that is in the area with a scheduled flight. In addition, the prototype of microplastics coupled to fishing boats, although its replicability has yet to be defined, is a scientific advance that will allow us to have a greater knowledge of the state of health of those areas that, due to lack of funding, or logistics, have not been worked on with specific campaigns.

Fuerteventura, once again, has the perfect potential to continue being an experimental island in terms of innovation, both technological and social. The complexity of the islands, and their limitations, prevent rapid progress in the revaluation of the nets to use them, for example, as fabric for textiles, and sending it abroad would mean a greater carbon footprint, so it would not be an option. Creating synergies by closing a cycle, not only scientific, but also social, is one of the most satisfactory results that have been obtained in this project.