Omnipresence of microplastics in European rivers

Over a period of 6 months, from May to November 2019, the research schooner Tara voyaged along the 4 European sea fronts and took samples from 9 major rivers in Europe. This is the very first mission dedicated to investigating plastic pollution in rivers on a European scale. The project was initiated by the Tara Ocean Foundation, in partnership with 16 research laboratories and coordinated scientifically by the CNRS. Our objectives: to identify sources of pollution; learn about the fragmentation of microplastics in rivers; predict their dispersion towards the ocean; understand their impacts on marine biodiversity and effects on the food chain. Marine biologists, ecotoxicologists, oceanographers, modelers, chemists and physicists make up the interdisciplinary team collectively involved in this vast European survey.  Here is an overview of the observations made by the Tara Ocean Foundation and the scientific teams.