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

One of the best parts of our expeditions are the people that join us on board, from all walks of life – artists, scientists, musicians, surfers, journalists, filmmakers, and the occasional bag pipe player from Scotland. We invite people to see plastic marine pollution first hand, working side by side with us to collect data, and document the issue, so that they will take the experiences back to their communities. And continue kicking plASStic in their respective ways.

So it’s a joy to hear what people are up to back on land, a variety of projects that reflect the diversity of talents we’ve met, and we’ll be sharing these updates in the coming months. Starting with Jess Cramp, currently working on what could be the world’s largest Shark Sanctuary, in the Cook Islands. Jess is a rare breed – a competitive surfer and global activist with sun kissed charm and an infectious laugh, she is also a trained scientist, a licensed pilot, and an acrobat.

After sailing across the South Pacific Gyre with us this past Spring, Jess headed onto the Cook Islands, looking to see where she could bring her unique combination of skills to a local project in need of support. She soon found the Pacific Island Conservation Initiative, a small, grassroots organization working to engage the local community in science-based conservation and species/habitat protection. Jess quickly became an integral player, and immediately set to work organizing a series of “rubbish roundups” that served two functions: helping remove mounds of waste from the island’s sensitive shorelines, and engaging the local community in learning more about PICI.

“This is one of the biggest things we do”, Jess explained via skype, “become a part of the community, rather than trying to make changes as outsiders, which rarely works. It takes time for people to get to know you, and trust you. This is why I wanted to live in the community, and commit from the outset to staying at least 6 months.”

Working on a shoestring, and slowly building local momentum for PICI's projects, Jess’s commitment and sacrifices are starting to pay off. PICI’s bigger goal of creating a Shark Sanctuary in the Cook Islands is gaining momentum, and media attention. Hopefully, these will attract much needed funds towards the effort, and sustain Jess’s work long enough to see this landmark initiative through. If successful, the Cook Island Shark Sanctuary will be the biggest of its kind, providing key habitat to numerous shark species, critically endangered around the world by habitat loss and unsustainable fishing practices, most notably the gruesome practice of shark finning. 

The work ahead for Jess and PICI is challenging, to say the least, and will need support. You can help by spreading the word: if you know a journalist, donor, or NGO that can get involved, put them in touch with PICI, like them on Facebook, repost this, and stay informed. We’re tremendously inspired by Jess’s work, and will keeping close tabs on the future of PICI and the  Sanctuary. Thank you Jess! We're all rooting for you. (Especially the sharks.)