The project, promoted by the Ecoalf Foundation and Ecoembes, reinforces its commitment to cleaning and preserving marine ecosystems through a new pilot initiative.
It involves deploying buoys developed by Satlink, equipped with GPS tracking systems that can be attached to drifting waste to monitor and facilitate its retrieval.
The initiative aims to both understand the frequency of waste accumulation near protected areas and create a retrieval system to prevent environmental impact.
The Upcycling the Oceans project, led by the Ecoalf Foundation and Ecoembes, is strengthening its commitment to cleaning marine ecosystems with a pilot program that integrates technology and science to analyze the impact of floating marine debris in protected areas along Spain’s eastern coast. To achieve this, the project is using technology developed by Satlink, a company specializing in ocean management, monitoring, and conservation solutions. Their smart buoys incorporate GPS tracking technology, allowing them to be attached to floating waste found drifting near these areas. This enables identification and monitoring of the waste, facilitating its eventual retrieval.
Supported by Fundación Banco Santander through its Santander for the Seas program, the initial pilot phase has been launched with the participation of the ports of Delta del Ebro (Catalonia) and Torrevieja (Alicante) and will continue until June 2025.
This program has a dual objective: to understand how frequently waste is found near protected marine areas and to establish an efficient retrieval system before it reaches and impacts these ecosystems. With this technology, when small vessels encounter large floating debris they cannot carry on board, they can mark its location so that another vessel can retrieve it and transport it to port containers for proper processing at waste treatment facilities.
"With the launch of this pilot, we continue to take steps toward a future without waste. We have already been doing important work removing debris from the seabed in collaboration with fishermen, but now we are also getting closer to recovering waste that floats near protected areas. More importantly, we will gain a better understanding of the types of waste that reach these areas and work to establish an effective collection system," said Nieves Rey, Director of Communication and Marketing at Ecoembes.
Andrea Ruzo, Director of the Ecoalf Foundation, added: "This pilot, made possible by the collaboration of the ports of Torrevieja and Delta del Ebro, allows us to use technology to understand how marine debris interacts with the ocean environment and to gather data that will help preserve nearby marine protected areas. The ultimate goal is to create local collaborative networks that help identify and prevent waste from impacting these sensitive marine environments."
Upcycling the Oceans: Cleaning the Seas and Promoting Circularity
The Upcycling the Oceans initiative aims to help clean the oceans and promote circularity by giving a second life to recovered marine waste through recycling. Since its inception in 2015, the project has removed over 1,000 tons of marine debris from the seabed, thanks to the voluntary participation of more than 2,600 fishermen from 45 Spanish ports.
Technology and Science: A Strategic Alliance for Ocean Conservation
Developed by the Spanish technology company Satlink, these buoys include GPS technology and can be tracked via specialized software that provides real-time location data. Additionally, they can calculate and transmit data on their speed and direction if adrift, helping researchers understand how marine waste interacts with the environment and find ways to prevent it from reaching protected marine areas.
Equipped with solar panels, the buoys have an almost unlimited lifespan and are connected via a satellite communication system, ensuring data transmission from anywhere in the world.
"At Satlink, we strongly believe that technology is a fundamental tool for protecting and preserving the marine environment. All of our developments and initiatives are aimed at ensuring better ocean management and resource sustainability. This collaboration with the Upcycling the Oceans project is another step in that direction. These buoys will not only enable the monitoring of marine debris to ensure its collection, but they will also provide valuable insights into how waste interacts with the ocean environment," emphasized Kathryn Gavira, Director of Science and Sustainability at Satlink.
The launch of this pilot program would not have been possible without the support of Fundación Banco Santander and its Santander for the Seas program. This collaboration highlights the importance of strategic partnerships that bring together different social actors to work toward environmental preservation.
