RIMMEL
RIverine and Marine floating macro litter Monitoring and Modelling of Environmental Loading
The RIMMEL project will quantify floating macro litter loads through rivers to marine waters, by collecting existing data, developing an European observation network, deploying a camera system and using the resulting data to build a statistical inverse model of litter loading based on the characteristics of the catchments. This is the first-ever European-scale quantification of loads of floating litter to the European seas. |
| ||||||||
Description |
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (European Commission, 2008) is the key policy framework for the protection of the marine environment across Europe. It is aimed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) of the EU's marine waters by 2020. The MSFD is divided into 11 thematic descriptors, being Descriptor 10 the one dedicated to the assessment of Marine Litter: 'Properties and quantities of marine litter do not cause harm to the coastal and marine environment'. |
Additionally, the project will develop the RiverLitterCam methodology for continuous recording of floating macro litter in rivers, providing a new tool for observation and assessment of litter in freshwater/estuarine environments. Results will bring a better understanding on litter dynamics from freshwater to marine environments, contributing to source identification and quantification, thus supporting policy makers for improvement of management options.
|