Plastic pollution in the marine environment is widely recognised as one of the major challenges of our time. In an attempt to contribute to addressing this problem Dr Lisa Baldini and the Durham Wildlife Trust decided to tackle the problem at the source. The project from Source to Sea investigates the source and abundance of plastics in river sediments and waters focussing on the River Wear. This work will not only inform conservation work for the river Wear, but also benefit coastal habitat in the North Sea where plastic get transported to and, importantly, serve as a case study of international relevance.

Sampling field work has been conducted throughout the summer and into the autumn of 2021.