OceanLens Presentation: Local Data and Global Governance: Monitoring Microplastic Pollution through Citizen-Science Spatial Data

About This Event

The increasing geographic distribution of microplastic pollution is both an environmental and governance challenge. Government regulations that span local, provincial, national and international boundaries seek to address plastic pollution that is local in impact yet global in distribution. As a proposed platform that integrates microplastics data with environmental and economic information, OceanLens is a case study of a citizen‑powered approach that integrates community‑collected microplastics data with environmental (oceans currents, geomorphology) and economic indicators (tourism, manufacturing). Integrating spatial data in platforms, like OceanLens, offers an opportunity to examine how digital citizen‑science platforms can potentially strengthen global environmental governance, enhance data justice, and support more equitable and resilient responses to microplastic pollution.