Project Update: World Ocean Day!

Hi everyone!

To celebrate World Oceans Day we would like to update you on our project!

After having spent some time going through the thousands of images we collected during our first survey in 2023 and analysing them, we are finally ready to share our results!

A total of 107 aerial surveys were undertaken around Koh Phangan, producing a total of 26’400 images across an area of 17.52 km2. From this survey, we found a total of 110 individual pieces of Abandoned Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG)!

Our findings indicate a trend of gear accumulation along the West and Southern coast of the island, contrasting with fewer items observed in the East and Northern regions. This accumulation pattern is presented as a heatmap below (darker red areas correspond to higher gear density). 

 

During our survey we also encountered a lot of terrestrial pollution, this was in the form of ghost gear as well as general waste and polystyrene foam.

 

Because of these results, we thought that it was important to carry on with the aerial monitoring work and organise, as well as support, clean-ups throughout the island. We have since completed two more seasons of aerial surveys, with the last one just finished this June! 

Partnering with local environmental groups, we have been able to organize and participate in more than 6 diving and beach clean-up events in Koh Phangan. By sharing our ALDFG locations with these groups, we are steadily working through polluted regions that we have located by drone. We are thrilled by the impact these collaborative efforts have made and look forward to continuing and expanding this work!

Happy World Ocean Day Everyone!

 

 

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