French cruise line Ponant to support the non-profit organisation Sea Plastics’ oceanographic expedition
In a few days, four members of the Sea Plastics non-profit will board the yacht Le Labo for its second scientific expedition. Each year, 8 million tonnes of plastic are thrown into the sea. The goal of this expedition is therefore to study the impact of microplastics on living organisms ranging from bacteria to whales.
Sea Plastics will sail the Western Mediterranean for 6 months. In order to cover a comprehensive area of study, the scientific data gathered during this expedition will be sent to several specialised laboratories and scientific partners such as Aquasearch, CESTMed, and the CNES (French space agency). The non-profit organisation will also hold panel discussions at some twenty ports of call in order to educate the general public about this cause. PONANT, for whom ocean conservation is a top priority, supports this expedition whose aims are both scientific and educational.
“By providing its support to Sea Plastics for this project aimed at fighting plastic pollution in the world’s oceans, PONANT is demonstrating its commitment to a cause that is dear to the cruise line: respect for the marine environment,” says Jean Emmanuel Sauvée, CEO of PONANT.
The Sea Plastics project is here for the long term, since another expedition is already planned for 2019.
Protecting the marine environment, a top priority for PONANT
Conscious of the fragility of the regions in which its ships sail, PONANT works to protect marine ecosystems and educate passengers while reducing the environmental impact of its ships. From the design of its “Clean Ship” certified vessels to its landings, every effort is made to reduce environmental impact: itineraries are carefully chosen, Le Ponant navigates under sail whenever possible, the ship coatings used keep air and water pollution to a minimum, and crew and passengers are educated about how to behave responsibly aboard the ship and on land. PONANT was also awarded the Blue Charter Trophy from the French Shipowners and is a member of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), working to safeguard wild animals and plants through the adoption of responsible behaviours.
ABOUT SEA PLASTICS – seaplastics.wixsite.com/seaplastics
Because of its geographical scope and its persistent nature, ocean plastic pollution causes irreversible damage to marine biodiversity and ecosystems. The aim of Sea Plastics, a non-profit organisation created in 2016 by students from AgroParisTech, French higher education and research institute, is to design and operate oceanographic expeditions to study the impact of plastics on the marine environment. The data gathered will contribute to the set-up of a circular economy for plastic and to the fight to protect the world’s oceans.
(Ponant)
