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Finding Plastic Patches in Coastal Waters using Optical Satellite Data.
Lauren Biermann1, Daniel Clewley2, Victor Martinez-Vicente2
1Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, UK. lbi@pml.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|April 25, 2020
Summary
Floating plastic pollution is now detectable using European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellite optical data. This breakthrough technology can distinguish marine plastic debris from natural materials with 86% accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Remote Sensing
- Oceanography
Background:
- Marine plastic pollution is a significant global environmental issue.
- Optical satellite data offers a unique vantage point for monitoring marine debris.
- Previous studies have had limited success in detecting marine plastics via satellite.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the detectability of floating macroplastics using Sentinel-2 satellite data.
- To differentiate marine plastics from natural materials like seaweed.
- To develop a foundational system for future marine plastic monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) optical data.
- Developed and applied a novel Floating Debris Index (FDI).
- Employed spectral shape analysis and a Naïve Bayes algorithm for classification.
Main Results:
- Successfully detected patches of floating macroplastics in Sentinel-2 data across four case study countries.
- Demonstrated the ability to distinguish macroplastics from natural materials.
- Achieved an 86% accuracy in classifying suspected plastics.
Conclusions:
- Sentinel-2 satellite data, combined with the FDI and machine learning, can effectively detect and classify marine macroplastics.
- This research provides a crucial step towards establishing a global satellite-based monitoring system for ocean plastic pollution.
