Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos: 5 Years of Science to Solutions
In 2024, GCT and the Galapagos National Park Directorate published a landmark new report presenting the most detailed picture to date of the threat that coastal plastic pollution poses to the Galapagos Islands. Drawing on five years of research by GCT and the PPSS network, the report highlights oceanic inputs and the impacts on wildlife and communities, and underlines the urgent need for an ambitious, legally-binding Global Plastics Treaty that bans single-use plastics, accelerates the transition to a circular economy, strengthens international laws on waste management at sea and enforces the ‘polluter pays’ principle.
Sources
We are working to establish robust approaches to understanding and monitoring the sources, distribution, and fate of plastic waste generated in the Eastern Pacific, and exploring the behavioural and cultural drivers for plastic usage and disposal.
Story-writing Workshops as Archaeological Interventions: Local Perceptions of Galapagos Marine Plastic Litter
Cambridge Archaeological Journal – February 2025
Estelle Praet, Anne Guézou
Analyzing the behavior of beachgoers in the city of Lima and their relationship with potential plastic emissions
Marine Policy – December 2024
Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Karen Biberos-Bendezú, Luis Moya, Alejandro Deville, Diana Ita-Nagy, Ramzy Kahhat
Triggers of fishing gear loss incidents in small-scale fisheries in Peru
Marine Pollution Bulletin – December 2024
Chiara Guidino, Eliana Alfaro-Cordova, Adrian Custodio-Uribe, Eduardo Segura-Cobeña, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto, Jeffrey C. Mangel
Macrolitter and microplastics along the East Pacific coasts — A homemade problem needing local solutions
Marine Pollution Bulletin – June 2024
Daniela Honorato-Zimmer, Gabriela Escobar-Sánchez, Katie Deakin, Diamela De Veer, Tamara Galloway, Valeska Guevara-Torrejón, Jessica Howard, Jen Jones, Ceri Lewis, Francisca Ribeiro, Georgie Savage, Martin Thiel
Plastic pollution transcends marine protected area boundaries in the eastern tropical and south-eastern Pacific
Marine Pollution Bulletin – April 2024
Zara L.R. Botterell, Francisca Ribeiro, Daniela Alarcón-Ruales, Eliana Alfaro, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto, Nicola Allan, Nicole Becerra, Laura Braunholtz, Susana Cardenas-Diaz, Diamela de Veer, Gabriela Escobar-Sanchez, Maria Virginia Gabela-Flores, Brendan J. Godley, Inty Grønneberg, Jessica A. Howard, Daniela Honorato-Zimmer, Jen S. Jones, Ceri Lewis, Jeffrey C. Mangel, Maximilian Martin, Juan Pablo Muñoz Pérez, Sarah E. Nelms, Clara Ortiz-Alvarez, Adam Porter, Martin Thiel, Tamara S. Galloway
Sea of plastic: representations of the sea and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors regarding marine plastic pollution in Peru and Chile
Frontiers in Psychology – January 2024
Fernanda Saavedra, Marisol Mego, Sofia Ticona, Martin Thiel, Jostein Baeza, Agustín Espinosa
Citizen scientists study beach litter along 12,000 km of the East Pacific coast: A baseline for the International Plastic Treaty
Marine Pollution Bulletin – November 2023
Diamela De Veer, Jostein Baeza-Álvarez, Solange Bolaños, Sebastián Cavour Araya, Jodie J. Darquea, Manuel A. Díaz Poblete, Gustavo Domínguez, Geraldine Holtmann-Ahumada,
Daniela Honorato-Zimmer, Nikita Gaibor, María de los Ángeles Gallardo, Valeska Guevara Torrejón, Alejandra León Chumpitaz, Lara Marcús Zamora, Valentina Mora, Juan Manuel, Muñoz Araya, Beatriz Pernía, Sara Purca, Marcelo M. Rivadeneira, Osmel Alberto Sánchez, José Miguel Sepúlveda, Mauricio Urbina, Nelson Vásquez, José Vélez Tacuri, Vieia Villalobos, Bernardita Villanueva Brücher, Martin Thiel
Waste Journeys: Using Object Itineraries to Investigate Marine Plastic in Galapagos
Journey of Contemporary Archaeology – October 2023
Estelle Praet, Anne Guézou, John Schofield, Raveena M. Tamoria
At-sea solid waste production by a small-scale fishery in Peru
Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy – June 2023
Chiara Guidino, Amado Solano Sare, Clara Ortiz-Alvarez, Eliana Alfaro-Cordova, Alessandra Bielli, Ivonne Asencio Guzman, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto, Jeffrey C Mangel
Ocean-based sources of plastic pollution: An overview of the main marine activities in the Peruvian EEZ
Marine Pollution Bulletin – April 2023
Alejandro Deville, Ian Vazquez-Rowe, Diana Ita-Nagy, Ramzy Kahhat
Developing a methodology to quantify mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean in coastal countries
Journal of Industrial Ecology – December 2022
Diana Ita-Nagy, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat
Detecting the most effective cleanup locations using network theory to reduce marine plastic debris: a case study in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
Ocean Science – October 2022
Stefanie L. Ypma, Quinten Bohte, Alexander Forryan, Alberto C. Naveira Garabato, Andy Donnelly, Erik van Sebille
How do schoolchildren perceive litter? Overlooked in urban but not in natural environments
Journal of Environmental Psychology – June 2022
Diamela De Veer, Anthony Drouin, Jil Fischer, Camila González, Geraldine Holtmann, Daniela Honorato-Zimmer, Ailin Leyton, Paloma Núñez, José Miguel Sepúlveda, Nelson Vásquez, Martin Thiel
Solid waste assessment in a coastal fishing community in Peru
Marine Pollution Bulletin – May 2022
Clara Ortiz-Alvarez, Eliana Alfaro-Cordova, Alessandra Bielli, Jeffrey C. Mangel, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto
Prevalence of microplastics in the ocean in Latin America and the Caribbean
Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances – February 2022
Diana Ita-Nagy, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat
Impacts
We are establishing a sound understanding of the ecological, socioeconomic and health impacts of plastic waste across the region. These include source-to-sink dynamics of plastic leakage; behavioural attitudes that contribute towards littering; impacts on ecology, human health and wellbeing, and ecosystem services. We are also investigating the technical, environmental and social innovations required to elicit change.
Plastic pollution in mangrove ecosystems: A global meta-analysis
Marine Pollution Bulletin – September 2025
Katie Deakin, Adam Porter, Andrea Osorio Baquero, Ceri Lewis
A global assessment of microplastic abundance and characteristics on marine turtle nesting beaches
Marine Pollution Bulletin – June 2025
Zara L.R. Botterell, Jed Ardren, Elly Dove, Ellen McArthur, David S. Addison, Oyeronke M. Adegbile, Pierre Didier Agamboue, Andrews Agyekumhene, Phil Allman, Alexandra Alterman, Adren Anderson, Theresa Arenholz, Daniel Ariano-Sánchez, Zephania Arnold, José C. Báez, Anat Bahar, Castro Barbosa, Hector Barrios-Garrido, Eyup Başkale, Michael L. Berumen, Vanessa S. Bézy, Janice Blumenthal, Manuela R. Borja Bosquirolli, Alysia J. Boyce, Elizabeth Brammer-Robbins, Maria Branco, Annabelle M.L. Brooks, Nancy Bunbury, Luis Cardona, Helen Chadwick, Giannis Chalkias, Kimberly Chug, Jessica Clark, Matthew Cole, Rachel L. Coppock, Eduardo Cuevas, Tiffany M. Dawson, Maria Denaro, Rodrigo Donadi, Corrine Douglas, Ryan Douglas, Emily Drobes, Chloé Dubois, Emily M. Duncan, Chloe A. Elston, Nicole Esteban, Gabriela Fernandes, Maria B. Ferreira-Airaud, Sarah A. Finn, Jerome Fisayo Christie, Angela Formia, Sabrina Fossette-Halot, Mariana M.P.B. Fuentes ap, Tamara S. Galloway av, Matthew H. Godfrey, Joanna Goodfellow, Vicente Guzmán-Hernández, Catherine E. Hart, Graeme C. Hays, Sarah E. Hirsch, Sandra Hochscheid, Karen G. Holloway-Adkins, Julia A. Horrocks, Emi Inoguchi, Gélica E. Inteca, Claire Jean, Yakup Kaska, Brice Didier Koumba Mabert, Amandine Lambot, Yaniv Levy, Ceri Lewis, César P. Ley-Quiñonez, Penelope K. Lindeque, Israel Llamas, Sergio Lopez-Martinez, Javier López-Navas, Kelsey Mack, Fernando M. Madeira, Fulvio Maffucci, Roksana Majewska, Agnese Mancini, Katherine L. Mansfield, Adolfo Marco, Dimitris Margaritoulis, Isabel Marques da Silva, Samir Martins, Andrew S. Maurer, Wendy J. McFarlane, Carmen Mejías-Balsalobre, Maxine A. Montello, Jeanne A. Mortimer, Sarah E. Nelms, Josep Nogués Vera, Christelle Not, Olga Novillo-Sanjuan, Karen Oceguera Camacho, Omri Omessi, Breanna Ondich, Mark Outerbridge, Nicolas Paranthoen, Jessica Pate, S. Michelle Pate, Ana R. Patrício, Odysseas Paxinos, Tami Pearl, Justin R. Perrault, Angela S. Picknell, Susanna Piovano, Ernesto I. Pococa Arellano, Alwyn Ponteen, Shritika S. Prakash, Jairo Quiros Rosales, Vicky Rae, Azzakirat B.A. Raman, Tyffen Read, Katie E. Reeve-Arnold, Richard D. Reina, Stefanie Reinhardt, Flavia Riberiro, Andrew J. Richardson, Marga L. Rivas, Dani Rob, Joseph Roche Chaloner, Christopher E. Rogers, Daniela Rojas-Cañizales, Frank Rosell, Enerit Sacdanaku, Yessica M. Salgado Gallegos, Cheryl Sanchez, Pilar Santidrián Tomillo cz bo, David Santillo,Denise Santos de Mora, Maïa Sarrouf Willson, Shir Sassoon, Emma A. Schultz, Felicity Shapland, Donna J. Shaver, Mandy W.K. So, Kelly Soluri, Guy-Philippe Sounguet, Doğan Sözbilen, Seth P. Stapleton, David A. Steen, Martin Stelfox, Kimberly M. Stewart, Lyndsey K. Tanabe, Luis A. Tello-Sahagun, Jesús Tomás, Davinia Torreblanca, Anton D. Tucker, Craig Turley, Ivon Vassileva, Sara Vieira, Martha R. Villalba-Guerra, Gerardo Villaseñor Castañeda, Ricardo Villaseñor Llamas, Matthew Ware, Sam B. Weber, Lindsey West, Clemency Whittles, Paul A. Whittock, Joseph Widlansky, Brendan J. Godley
Identifying current trends in the environmental impacts linked to fishmeal and fish oil production in Peru
Aquaculture – April 2025
Alejandro Deville, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Angel Avadí, Fernando Miranda, Ramzy Kahhat
Knowledge gaps and future research priorities linked to microplastic abundance and occurrence in Peruvian fisheries and seafood products
Marine Policy – March 2025
Alejandro Deville, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat
Assessing economic losses in artisanal fisheries from marine plastic pollution in coastal Ecuador and Peru
Marine Policy – March 2025
Pablo D. Llerena, Jorge J. Avila-Santamaría, María V. Gabela, Sara Purca, Carlos F. Mena, Susana A. Cárdenas
Assessing the chemical landscape of the Galápagos Marine Reserve
Science of The Total Environment – December 2024
Georgie Savage, Jen S. Jones, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Ceri Lewis, Tamara S. Galloway
Plastic pollution and health metrics in wild juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) from two Ecuadorian national parks: Galápagos and Machalilla
Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science – September 2024
Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Gregory A. Lewbart, Tania Toapanta, Helen Chadwick, Elvis D. Okoffo, Daniela Alarcón-Ruales, Leo Zurita-Arthos, Jen S. Jones, Fernando Cisneros, Andres Moreira-Mendieta, Cristina Vintimilla-Palacios, Cristina Miranda, Felipe Vallejo, Emma Houck, Rubén Alemán, Kamila Escobar-Flores, Alice Skehel, Jason Castañeda, Patricia Secoura, Shelly Vaden, Ceri Lewis, Tamara Galloway, Bryan Wallace, Brendan J. Godley, Matthew Cole, Penelope Lindeque, Kevin V. Thomas, Dominique A. Potvin, Carlos A. Valle, Kathy A. Townsend
Ecotoxicological Assessment of Microplastics and Cellulose Particles in the Galápagos Islands and Galápagos Penguin Food Web
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry – June 2024
Karly McMullen, Paola Calle, Omar Alvarado‐Cadena, Matthew D. Kowal, Eduardo Espinoza, Gustavo A. Domínguez, Ana Tirapé, Félix Hérnán Vargas, Edward Grant, Brian P. V. Hunt, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Juan José Alava
Sea surface microplastics in the Galapagos: Grab samples reveal high concentrations of particles <200 μm in size
Science of The Total Environment – May 2024
Katie Deakin, Georgie Savage, Jen S. Jones, Adam Porter, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, David Santillo, Ceri Lewis
Prevalence of microplastics in Peruvian mangrove sediments and edible mangrove species
Marine Pollution Bulletin – March 2024
Angelica Aguirre-Sanchez, Sara Purca, Matthew Cole, Aldo G. Indacochea, Penelope K. Lindeque
Plastic ingestion in giant tortoises: An example of a novel anthropogenic impact for Galapagos wildlife
Environmental Pollution – January 2024
Karina Ramon-Gomez, Santiago R. Ron, Sharon L. Deem, Kyana N. Pike, Colton Stevens, Juan Carlos Izurieta, Ainoa Nieto-Claudin
Marine litter and social inequities entangle Ecuadorian mangrove communities: Perceptions of plastic pollution and well-being concerns in Puerto Hondo and Isla Santay, Ecuador
Marine Policy – November 2023
Karly McMullen, Ana Tirapé, Paola Calle, Jessica Vandenberg, Omar Alvarado-Cadena, Yoshitaka Ota, Gustavo A. Domínguez, Juan José Alava
Marine Debris Found in Stomachs of Blue Sharks (Prionace Glauca) Captured Off Salaverry, La Libertad, Peru
SSRN – October 2023
Francisco Andres Córdova-Zavaleta, Joanna Olga Alfaro Shigueto, Jeff Mangel
Detection and quantification of microplastic pollution in the endangered Galapagos sea lion
Science of The Total Environment – October 2023
Andrés Moreira-Mendieta, Odei Garcia-Garin, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Diego O. Urquía, Massimiliano Drago, Asunción Borrell, Diego Páez-Rosas
Multiple anthropogenic stressors in the Galápagos Islands’ complex social–ecological system: Interactions of marine pollution, fishing pressure, and climate change with management recommendations
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management – July 2023
Juan José Alava, Karly McMullen, Jen Jones, María José Barragán‐Paladines, Catherine Hobbs, Ana Tirapé, Paola Calle, Daniela Alarcón, Juan Pablo Muñoz‐Pérez, Laia Muñoz‐Abril, Kathy Ann Townsend, Judith Denkinger, Miguel Uyaguari, Gustavo A. Domínguez, Eduardo Espinoz, Harry Reyes, Paolo Piedrahita, Patricia Fair, Tamara Galloway, Jack Stein Grove, Ceri Lewis, John Schofield
Galápagos and the plastic problem
Frontiers in Sustainability – March 2023
Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Gregory A. Lewbart, Daniela Alarcón-Ruales, Alice Skehel, Esteban Cobos, Roberth Rivera, Alexis Jaramillo, Henry Vivanco, Leo Zurita-Arthos, Bryan Wallace, Carlos A. Valle, Kathy A. Townsend
Microplastic distribution and composition on two Galápagos island beaches, Ecuador: Verifying the use of citizen science derived data in long-term monitoring
Environmental Pollution – October 2022
Jen S. Jones, Anne Guézou, Sara Medor, Caitlin Nickson, Georgie Savage, Daniela Alarcón-Ruales, Tamara S. Galloway, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Sarah E. Nelms, Adam Porter, Martin Thiel, Ceri Lewis
Microplastic Presence in the Mangrove Crab Ucides occidentalis (Brachyura: Ocypodidae) (Ortmann, 1897) Derived From Local Markets in Tumbes, Peru
Air, Soil and Water Research – September 2022
Angelica Aguirre-Sanchez, Sara Purca, Aldo G. Indacochea
Plastic contamination of a Galapagos Island (Ecuador) and the relative risks to native marine species
Science of the Total Environment – October 2021
Jen S. Jones, Adam Porter, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Daniela Alarcón-Ruales, Tamara S. Galloway, Brendan J. Godley, David Santillo, Jessica Vagg, Ceri Lewis
Contemporary Archaeology as a Framework for Investigating the Impact of Disposable Plastic Bags on Environmental Pollution in Galápagos
Contemporary Archaeology – May 2021
John Schofield, Jerry Aylmer, Andy Donnelly, Jen Jones, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Elena Perez, Callum Scott, Kathy A. Townsend
Solutions
We are designing and testing innovations to reduce plastic leakage and build a circular economy for plastics in the Eastern Pacific region, working with our partners to connect science with industry and policy.
Integrating microplastic management into a broader wastewater decision-making framework. Is activated granular sludge (AGS) a game changer?
Journal of Water Process Engineering – January 2025
Andre Torre, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat
Using systems mapping to understand the constraints and enablers of solutions to plastic pollution
Journal of Environmental Management – December 2024
E.K. Morasae, Z.L.R. Botterell, S. H. V Andrews, N. Beaumont, P. Boisseaux, H. Chadwick, R. Cherrington, M. Cole, R.L. Coppock, K. Deakin, E. M Duncan, D. Flor, T.S. Galloway, S.L. Garrard, B.J. Godley, D. Harley-Nyang, C. Lewis, P.K. Lindeque, P. McCutchion, R. Nolan, A. Osorio Baquero, L.M. Pinheiro, G. Savage, L. Storer, E. Thrift, D.R. Wilson, C. Woodhouse, M. Xavier, X. Yan, S.E. Nelms
Archaeological approaches to plastics and plastic pollution: A critical overview
Cambridge Prisms: Plastics – November 2024
Estelle Praet, John Schofield, Raveena M. Tamoria
Monitoring plastic pollution using bioindicators: a global review and recommendations for marine environments
Environmental Science: Advances – October 2024
Matthew S. Savoca, Neil Angelo Abreo, Andres H. Arias, Laura Baes, Matteo Baini, Elisa Bergami, Susanne Brander, Miquel Canals, C. Anela Choy, Ilaria Corsi, Bavo De Witte, Camila Domit, Sarah Dudas, Emily M. Duncan, Claudia E. Fernández, Maria Cristina Fossi, Ostin Garcés-Ordóñez, Brendan J. Godley, Daniel González-Paredes, Victoria González Carman, Bonnie M. Hamilton, Britta Denise Hardesty, Sang Hee Hong, Shirel Kahane-Rapport, Lauren M. Kashiwabara, Mariana Baptista Lacerda, Guillermo Luna-Jorquera, Clara Manno, Sarah E. Nelms, Cristina Panti, Diego J. Pérez-Venegas, Christopher K. Pham, Jennifer F. Provencher, Sara Purca, Harunur Rashid, Yasmina Rodríguez, Conrad Sparks, ChengJun Sun, Martin Thiel, Catherine Tsangarisao, Robson G. Santos
The use of artificial intelligence algorithms to detect macroplastics in aquatic environments: A critical review
Science of The Total Environment – October 2024
Miguel Angel Astorayme, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Ramzy Kahhat
Communication strategies in an international school citizen science program investigating marine litter
Frontiers in Environmental Science – November 2023
Martin Thiel, Jostein Baeza Álvarez, Manuel Diaz, Diamela de Veer, Sinja Dittmann, Valeska Guevara-Torrejón, Geraldine Holtmann Ahumada, Daniela Honorato-Zimmer, Tim Kiessling, Ailin Leyton Muñoz, Ninoshka López-Xalín, Paloma Nuñez, José Miguel Sepúlveda, Nelson Vásquez
Island Innovation: Transitioning Towards a Circular Economy for Plastics in Galápagos, Ecuador
Island Ecosystems. Social and Ecological Interactions in the Galapagos Islands pp 469-478 – May 2023
Jen S. Jones, Jess Howard, Tamara S. Galloway, Lucía Norris Crespo, Sol Espinosa
Bottle with a message: The role of story writing as an engagement tool to explore children’s perceptions of marine plastic litter
Marine Pollution Bulletin – January 2023
Estelle Praet, Jostein Baeza-Álvarez, Diamela De Veer, Geraldine Holtmann-Ahumada, Jen S. Jones, Sarah Langford, Jessica Michel Dearte, John Schofield, Martin Thiel, Kayleigh J. Wyles
Key issues for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics governance
Journal of Environmental Management – November 2022
Monick Cruz Nazareth, Mônica R.C. Marques, Lara Mesquita Pinheiro, Ítalo Braga Castro
The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution
Science of The Total Environment – February 2022
Helen V. Ford, Nia H. Jones, Andrew J. Davies, Brendan J. Godley, Jenna R. Jambeck, Imogen E. Napper, Coleen C. Suckling, Gareth J. Williams, Lucy C. Woodall, Heather J. Koldewey
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