For 35 years, Surfrider Foundation Europe has been working to protect the Ocean. This protection involves collecting and quantifying the pollution it faces.
This year again, thousands of citizens have committed alongside the NGO to collect data on marine litter. Surfrider publishes today its 2025 annual report, to give a better understanding of marine litter origins and impacts.
Citizen Science : the Heart of Surfrider’s work
In 2025, Surfrider carried out several citizen science programs that analyzed waste found on beaches and riverbanks’ quantity, type, and distribution across Europe:
- Ocean Initiatives program enables anyone to collect and quantify 30 types of waste.
- Biocarriers collects opportunistic data on the presence and type of biocarriers.
- Ospar/MSFD protocol – certified by the European Union – conduct scientific monitoring of waste through specific collection and classification methods.
All the data is used at different levels – local, national, and European – to improve scientific knowledge of the subject. Information is also used for advocacy to influence European and national decision-makers and industrial, to act at the source of pollution and promote stricter environmental regulations.
This report highlights the results of these actions and underlines the importance of collective engagement. Everyone can contribute to preserve the environment and the ocean.
Source: Surfrider Foundation Europe
