Dive Brief:

• Swiss expedition Race for Water Odyssey (R4WO) is an environmental initiative to clean up plastic waste in the ocean. Focused on plastic pollution, the group brings awareness by visiting beaches located within a “trash vortex.”
• The project spans 300 days; during this time volunteers will cover 40,000 nautical miles and travel to 13 countries to conduct the first global assessment of ocean waste. The expedition aims to determine the true impact of pollution found in the world’s oceans and will be studied by a six member crew. 
• The expedition is now in New York. while in the states, the crew will attend outreach events including two UN conferences about plastic litter.

Dive Insight:

Race for Water is based in Lausanne, Swizerland and left its launch-point, Bordeaux, France on March 15. After spending time in New York, the crew will sail to the Virgin Islands, where Richard Branson will host an event before the crew takes off to the Pacific Ocean. 

More attention has been given to the issue of plastics plaguing the world’s waters. In July 2014, a non-profit created an interactive mapping system - known as the Dive Against Debris Map - that pinpoints debris underwater. 

In June 2014, the US State Department announced plans to eradicate ocean pollution. The agency established a “Trash Free Waters” initiative, which uses sustainable solutions to capture waste before it reaches the ocean. The plan pushes for a reduction of ocean debris by 2025, with a primary focus being the removal of plastic waste.