Sphere Made from Single Use Plastic Champagne Flutes
by Deborah Maw, 2010

Welcome to readers from the Marine Conservation Society website.

To my regular readers, my blog is now linked to the MCS website, which is very exciting.

A bit of introduction for new comers.
This blog came about because I am part of an all female crew of citizen scientists sailing around the UK in August 2017 sampling the entire UK coastal waters for micro plastic.  This is the first time the entire coastline is being sampled and is being funded by the crew themselves.  The results will be freely available once processed and various students have completed their theses.

The expedition has been organised by Pangaea who have already undertaken two such citizen science expeditions in other parts of the globe, contributing to the knowledge of micro plastic pollution now widely circulating.

This expedition is a bit more extensive as we will be stopping at various ports, including the capital cities Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and London, to do outreach work; science and art, talks and teaching about the issues of plastic.

I am particularly interested in this expedition as it encompasses many aspects of my career history and interests.  I started as a research Biochemist, getting a PhD, then became a teacher of science, after which I retrained as a complementary health therapist.  Then 10 years ago I went back to college gaining a foundation degree in art and design specialising in using waste materials, particularly single use plastic and have since been teaching art using waste materials in various settings to promote environmental awareness.  Finally I have a passion for the sea, walking and wild camping the long-distance UK coastal paths and a goal to learn to sail in 2017.  I'm booked onto a competent crew course next week!

My intention of the blog is to keep friends, family and followers informed of the expedition; fundraising, preparations, experiences and results.  I am also publishing images of my waste plastic art work, much of which is sea plastic, photos taken on my coastal walks.

Fundraising
Each member of the crew must pay for their passage.  I have created a crowdfunding page www.gofundme.com/plasticseas and I am selling cards of my sea plastic artwork and making earrings from plastic bottles that I find.  So far I have raised nearly 20% of my fare. If you can donate anything please go to my fundraising page.  I will also be doing some talks/film viewings. If you would like to buy some crafts or host a talk/film please email me deborahmaw@hotmail.co.uk

Preparations
Although not a prerequisite, I am taking a 5 day competent crew course next week (try out my sea legs), which was a 60th birthday present to myself. I'll be sailing from Port Dinorwic to Holyhead on Anglesey.
One of my roles for the expedition is to organise our visit to Stornoway. We will be holding a day or art and science workshops in the Art Centre, An Lanntair on August 21.  I will also be involved in Edinburgh where we have access to ASCUS, a science laboratory full of microscopes, some with cameras.  I'm planning to do some art of microscopic images of micro plastic.  I have also been involved in applying for funding from the Wellcome Institute in London. My sea plastic cards are being used as group crowdfunding gifts and the images are to be displayed in an art gallery in Aran where we will also be stopping.
Amazingly - a fellow crew member lives in Macclesfield where I am often based.  We will be contacting our local paper, radio station and businesses for support.

More to come.....

www.gofundme.com/plasticseas