Pollution due to human activities remains an important issue for our ocean and seas.
In particular, the increasing amount of microplastics has become a cause of concern. Microplastics end up in marine waters through waste water discharge but also through the degradation of larger plastic material. These microplastics are then ingested by various marine animals including mussels, crabs and oysters which are in turn used for human consumption.
At Ostend Science Park, we are studying the impact of microplastics on marine organisms and on human health as consumers of contaminated seafood. At the same time, we are also working towards developing new solutions for microplastic remediation and removal. We focus on implementing these solutions in industrial settings such as off-shore aquaculture farms, wastewater treatment plants, and dredging ships.