From field campaigns to technology development — how Planktastic advances our understanding of microplastics
Plankton tows and water samples collected from the Douro and Lima estuaries across all seasons, identifying phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish larvae.
Quantifying and characterising microplastic particles by type, size, and polymer composition in estuarine and coastal waters.
Laboratory experiments assessing how microplastics affect fish larvae ingestion, phytoplankton photosynthesis, and plankton community structure.
Using environmental DNA (18S rRNA) to characterise phytoplankton diversity and model the ecological impacts of microplastics on marine food webs.
A novel multispectral imaging system that identifies microplastics and plankton in real time, underwater to 100 m depth, without any laboratory processing.
Deep learning models trained to automatically classify plankton species and microplastic types from multispectral imagery, enabling scalable autonomous monitoring.
Testing and validating the detection system from vessels of opportunity — fishing boats and research vessels — in real estuarine and coastal conditions.
Co-designing a practical monitoring toolkit with environmental agencies, fisheries experts and NGOs, transferable to other regions and countries.
Participatory workshops bringing together scientists, environmental managers, local fishers, maritime authorities and NGOs throughout the project.
Publishing all field and laboratory data openly via EMODnet and CIIMAR Watch, following FAIR data principles and EU open science policy.
Itinerant exhibition with CMIA Matosinhos, open-access publications, conference presentations and school outreach — raising awareness of plastic pollution and the vital role of plankton.