Work

Citizen Science Guidelines - Beach Litter Clean Ups

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Marine litter, especially plastics, poses a significant threat to coastal and marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and the social and economic value of coastal areas. Beach clean-ups are a practical, visible, and inclusive citizen science action that mobilisescommunities to remove litter while documenting the impact of their effort. This protocol provides step-by-step guidance for planning and implementing a safe and effective Beach Litter Clean-Up within the REMEDIES project. Citizens play a key role by participating in the clean-up, separating collected materials, and documenting results (e.g., participants, weights, photos) using the REMEDIES Citizen Science tools. The activity supports REMEDIES objectives by raising awareness, enabling structured citizen engagement, and contributing to local actions that reduce plastic pollution and advance the Mission Restore Our Ocean and Waters targets.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18695292

Authors: Kuralt, Vesna, Tsitsiliani, Violetta, Poletto, Davide, Abdelhamid, Elazem, Velimirovic Fanfani, Milica, Petelin, Marko

Institutions: Ghent University, Flemish Institute for Technological Research

Language: English

Topic: Microplastics and Plastic Pollution

Subfield: Pollution

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Responsible consumption and production, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: green

Funder: European Commission