Engage

Empowering citizen scientists to track and together prevent marine pollution.

The Testing Our Waters project offers a multi-pronged, design centered approach to reducing the accumulation of plastics in local waterways and international oceans through active community engagement and policy change. We are collaborating with 5Gyres and NyNjBayKeeper and have been awarded grant funding from the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School and the Autodesk Foundation.

Do it Yourself Trawls

We design, aggregate, and hopefully inspire the creation of Do It Yourself (DIY) trawls for citizen scientists to make and use in their nearby marine environments. Pollution collected in the trawls will be documented via a smartphone application and uploaded to a website platform. Results will build an online engaged community, regularly notify environmental stewards of the problem, and propose policy changes.

Check out all the trawls on the project website.

The GuppyFriend Trawl

The GuppyFriend Trawl uses Patagonia’s GuppyFriend Bag, a laundry bag specifically designed to collect microplastics.

Remaining trawl components are made from 3D printed biodegradable plastic and uses repurposed plastic beverage bottles.

The Re3DP Trawl

The Re3DP Trawl is a DIY Trawl made from repurposed plastic beverage bottles, held together by a 3D Printed Connector, printed using filament made from recycled PETE beverage bottles.

The BRIDGE Trawl

The Bridge Trawl is designed to be fixed in a strong current or to be pulled by a boat.

The trawl is made from two 3D printed components. Future improved versions will be available for open source download and modification.