5 Gyres - Understanding Plastic Pollution Through Exploration, Education, and Action

(Above: Plastic Reef first stage)

On our recent voyage to The Atlantic Gyre, The Sea Dragon's crew consisted of not only scientists, journalists and activists, but artists as well.  We were privileged to take Belgian artist Maarten Vanden Eynde whose work with plastic is downright astonishing. Not only is Eynde an exceptionally talented artist, he's a dedicated environmentalist and a capable sailor. In college, Maarten became increasingly unhappy with the state of environmental affairs in the world and sought to build a body of work that would inform the future with positivity.

Instead of losing his mind and falling into despair over the challenges that face us as a world, Maarten developed a forward looking body of work that look at society's artifacts of now in a future perspective.  One of his latest projects which ultimately led him to cross the Atlantic with the 5 Gyres crew, is called Plastic Reef.  Maarten plans to build a ten by forty meter artificial reef system installation out of found marine plastic debris.  This is what he collected on his journey aboard Sea Dragon.  Startling, hunh? Note the objects in the photos that will give you a sense of scale.  It was great having you aboard Maarten!