Plastic pollution travels through complex pathways from land to rivers, coastal waters and the open ocean. Understanding where this pollution originates, how it moves and where it accumulates is essential for developing effective solutions.
FZ Solutions is contributing to this challenge through Tools4Ocean, a Horizon Europe research project bringing together 14 partner organisations to develop an integrated toolbox for monitoring and addressing plastic pollution. As part of the project, FZ Solutions will deliver our uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) Pamela, equipped with a net trawl attachment for collecting microplastic and macroplastic samples. By enabling flexible sampling on the water, Pamela will contribute to the project's wider efforts to improve environmental monitoring and support evidence-based action against plastic pollution.
A European Collaboration to Tackle Plastic Pollution
Tools4Ocean — Toolbox for Integrated Monitoring and Action on Plastic Pollution from Land-to-Ocean Pathways — brings together 14 organisations with expertise in marine science, environmental monitoring, Earth observation, technology development and pollution prevention. Coordinated by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), the project aims to connect different sources of environmental data and monitoring methods into an integrated decision-support toolbox. The ambition is to help researchers, public authorities and other stakeholders better understand plastic pollution pathways and identify the most effective measures to reduce their impact.
Understanding How Plastic Moves from Land to Ocean
Plastic pollution does not stop at administrative or geographical boundaries. Material released on land can travel through rivers and drainage systems, accumulate along coastlines and eventually reach the ocean. Understanding these pathways requires monitoring across different environments, combined with data and models that reveal where pollution originates and where it accumulates. Tools4Ocean will bring together monitoring approaches, datasets, models and hotspot mapping to build a more comprehensive picture of plastic pollution. This knowledge can help decision-makers prioritise interventions and direct resources towards the areas where they can make the greatest difference.
USV Pamela: A Flexible Platform for Plastic Sampling
As part of Tools4Ocean, FZ Solutions will deliver USV Pamela equipped with a net trawl attachment for collecting microplastic and macroplastic samples. The compact, uncrewed surface vehicle provides a flexible platform for environmental sampling, allowing researchers to collect material from the water without relying on a conventional crewed sampling vessel for every operation. Pamela's portable design and adaptable payload system make it suitable for research teams looking to integrate targeted sampling into broader environmental monitoring programmes. Within Tools4Ocean, this technology will contribute a practical sampling capability to the project's wider approach to understanding plastic pollution.
Turning Environmental Measurements into Actionable Evidence
Effective action against plastic pollution depends on more than identifying that a problem exists. Decision-makers need reliable evidence about pollution levels, distribution and potential sources to understand where interventions are likely to have the greatest impact. By contributing a dedicated platform for collecting plastic samples, FZ Solutions will support the monitoring activities that underpin this evidence. Tools4Ocean combines technologies, datasets, models and practical intervention approaches with the needs of public authorities, researchers, businesses and local communities. The goal is to make environmental knowledge useful in real-world decisions, helping stakeholders move from monitoring pollution towards preventing and reducing it.
Building Better Tools for Ocean Protection
Tools4Ocean reflects the importance of collaboration between environmental researchers and technology developers. Through four pre-selected use cases and three replication regions, the project will explore how its toolbox can be tested, validated and adapted to different environmental and geographical contexts. For FZ Solutions, participation provides an opportunity to contribute our autonomous sampling technology to a wider European effort while supporting the development of more effective approaches to environmental monitoring. We look forward to working with the consortium over the coming four years to help improve the evidence available for tackling plastic pollution from land to ocean.
Learn more about the project: Read the project’s LinkedIn post announcing the Tools4Ocean kick-off meeting and follow the project as the consortium works towards better tools, better evidence and more effective action against plastic pollution.
Tools4Ocean is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, Grant Agreement No. 101295540.