Scientific expedition on plastic pollution
The Race for Water Odyssey is a scientific expedition that set out from Bordeaux, France, in March 2015. We were in charge of the project management of the circumnavigation of a racing trimaran whose objective was to reach remote parts of the planet in order to conduct scientific beach-based studies on plastic pollution levels. The findings of the work were then communicated to the scientific community in order to increase understanding of this ocean health issue. Widespread communications through the media also raised public awareness.
As part of the expedition we managed both the boat logistics (berthing, customs) and those for the team (accommodation, transport and visas).
We were also in charge of the general organisation of the stopovers. This included contact with the local relevant stakeholders, such as NGOs, scientific institutions, local authorities and the management of the stopovers agenda management which encompassed activities including press conferences, scientific studies and community outreach involving education workshops amongst other initiatives.
In some stopovers, scientific conferences and charity events were a part of the agenda. As the Race for Water Odyssey team was relatively small, teamwork was key to delivering the scientific objectives of the voyage including studies on plastic pollution on beaches in line with the guiding protocols.
