To address the growing threat of marine microplastic pollution in the Galapagos Islands, the IAEA's Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) initiative has partnered with Ecuador's Oceanographic Institute of the Navy (INOCAR) and Polytechnic School of the Coast (ESPOL) to build microplastic monitoring and analytical capacity.
Renowned for their incredible range of subspecies and unique evolutionary adaptations, the Galapagos Islands are sometimes referred to as a 'living laboratory of evolution' because of their isolated position in the Pacific Ocean some 1000 kilometres west of mainland Ecuador.
"To preserve the archipelago's rich biodiversity, the Galapagos National Park has implemented fiercely protective environmental policies to maintain the integrity of the unique flora and fauna that flourish on the islands," said Maria Jose Marin Jarrin of ESPOL. "These policies limit the number of people who can visit the islands and restrict entry to certain areas and beaches. There are some parts of the islands where even environmental scientists are not permitted to go, to prevent any adverse impacts on the ecosystem's delicate balance."
Plastic Waste
With all these measures in place, the islands are well protected from local plastic pollution, but plastic waste from overseas presents a different challenge. An estimated six tonnes of plastic waste wash ashore each year, endangering the archipelago's wildlife and environment.
Over the past decade, the Galapagos National Park has developed a robust monitoring and cleanup programme for larger plastic debris. However, microplastics - plastic particles smaller than five millimeters - pose a more complex challenge. These tiny particles are easy for marine animals to ingest and may have negative impacts on their health. Their size also impedes traditional monitoring methods and has historically prevented the National Park from gathering usable data to implement monitoring and mitigation programmes.
Higher Quality Data
IAEA training course on harmonized methods for beach sand sampling. Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, 2024. (Photo:C. Alonso-Hernandez/ IAEA)
As part of its NUTEC Plastics capacity building activities in Ecuador and Latin America, the IAEA has facilitated the procurement of nuclear derived tools and hands-on training to enable scientists in the region to assess and characterize microplastic pollution and, consequently, to generate high quality data on marine microplastic pollution. With its new capacity and state-of-the-art technology, INOCAR has become a regional hub for marine microplastic monitoring, analysing samples from the Galapagos Islands and across Ecuador, as well as other South American countries and even Antarctica, supporting the collection of greater quantities of higher quality data.
Fragile Ecosystems
As these projects unfold, INOCAR will continue to conduct analyses on seawater and sand samples, while the Polytechnic School of the Coast (ESPOL) will focus on biodiversity and marine and terrestrial organisms, enabling the Galapagos National Park to better manage and protect these fragile ecosystems.
Scientific visits to the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco are a key part of harmonizing analytical protocols. (Photo: E. McDonald/ IAEA)
The IAEA training also helps to harmonize data collection methods, so that data collected in the Galapagos is comparable to data gathered by monitoring programs around the world which helps to develop policy measures.
"Worldwide, NUTEC Plastics partners and members of its Global Marine Monitoring Network are working in a wide variety of marine and coastal environments, so monitoring protocols will vary accordingly," said Carlos Alonso-Hernandez, an IAEA research scientist and technical officer for NUTEC. "Harmonizing these protocols enables us to compare data globally, which gives countries the whole picture of microplastic pollution."
Healthier Ocean
As NUTEC Plastics continues to expand its research and development and capacity building activities, as well as its Global Marine Monitoring Network, the IAEA remains committed to supporting its Member States address environmental challenges and work towards a healthier, more sustainably managed ocean.
Complementarily, NUTEC Plastics is addressing the global challenge of plastic pollution at point of source, by introducing new technologies to improve plastic upcycling to reduce the bulk of plastic waste ending up in the ocean.
