{"id":772360,"date":"2026-04-21T05:41:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=772360"},"modified":"2026-04-21T09:07:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:07:43","slug":"mapping-ocean-plastic-solutions","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-ocean-plastic-solutions","title":{"rendered":"Mapping Ocean Plastic Solutions, from Local Watersheds to Global Waters"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[477732,295782,486672,161432],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[478392],"esri_blog_department":[478172],"class_list":["post-772360","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-esri-insider","tag-cleanup","tag-environmental-protection","tag-ocean-pollution","tag-operations","esri-blog-category-ocean","esri_blog_department-mapping"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"OpenOceans Global is mapping the world\u2019s most plastic-polluted beaches and working with local communities to pinpoint the sources.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"OpenOceans Global is mapping the world\u2019s most plastic-polluted beaches and working with local communities to pinpoint the sources of plastic and identify solutions.\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>OpenOceans Global traces the pathways of ocean plastic pollution, the majority of which comes from rivers.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The organization unifies disparate datasets and collects information from people on the ground through its Ocean Plastic Pathways (OPP) initiative.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>OPP is a prototype GIS solution\u2014with dashboards, analysis tools, and predictive models\u2014being piloted in Ecuador. It will later be replicated in other regions to address local pollution hot spots.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the United Nations failed to agree on a plastic treaty in 2025, Carl Nettleton realized his work to protect the oceans mattered more than ever. As the founder of OpenOceans Global, he\u2019s on a mission to stop ocean plastic at its source.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global water systems absorb plastic pollution equal to 2,000 truckloads of garbage every day, according to UN studies. In fact, some local governments <em>do<\/em> dump truckloads of trash into rivers and other bodies of water, devastating ecosystems and damaging human health. The practice is often due to poor infrastructure, limited funding, and weak oversight. Without action, plastic production and waste could triple by 2040, warns <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pew.org\/en\/about\/news-room\/press-releases-and-statements\/2020\/07\/23\/research-finds-plastic-flows-into-the-ocean-expected-to-triple-by-2040\">Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To drive change, Nettleton needed to know the origins of plastic pollution, since that would help unite people around solutions to address it. \u201cI look at it like a viral outbreak,\u201d he said. He even modeled a plastic pollution outbreak map after the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Map to show where action is most needed.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772365,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf we can map and stop plastic at its source,\u201d Nettleton said, \u201cwe wouldn\u2019t need to clean up the beaches, coastal areas, and deep ocean after it disperses.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Close to 80 percent of ocean plastic comes from rivers, as estimated by Netherlands-based nonprofit organization The Ocean Cleanup. Less understood are the pathways through which plastic moves into oceans.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mapping Data That Drives Action <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OpenOceans Global was founded in 2007 with a goal of aggregating and visualizing the world's ocean data. Recognizing the need to first succeed with a more focused effort, Nettleton began tracing land-to-sea pathways. Data was both the starting point and the obstacle. Much of the insight he needed either didn\u2019t exist yet or was fragmented across multiple sources.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, he combined scattered data, filled gaps with his own research, and anchored it all in maps made with geographic information system (GIS) technology. Nettleton created mapping apps with GIS, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openoceans.org\/Plastic-Trash\">Ocean Plastic Map,<\/a> which uses ArcGIS Survey123 to collect data from people who witness pollution in coastal areas.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772367,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These types of maps bridge global policy and local action.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nettleton has been an active participant in UN plastic treaty talks since they began in 2022. These efforts can take 20 or more years to complete, however, so he also collaborates with local communities to drive immediate action.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, Nettleton expresses urgency: \u201cAn international treaty, even if agreed upon and ratified, will not be effective for decades, and we have to act now,\u201d he cautioned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Big Transformation Begins with Small, Scalable Successes<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maps of water systems and pollution data are being used to create a more foundational intervention. They are helping OpenOceans Global create a working model that can be replicated anywhere in the world to keep plastics from reaching the ocean.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using maps that show regional plastic pathways, Nettleton\u2019s team built a prototype GIS dashboard. It combines data, visual tools, and predictive models to help stop pollution upstream. Called the Ocean Plastic Pathways (OPP) initiative, the prototype is being piloted in Ecuador, where GEO Tierra Ecuador\u2014part of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO)\u2014 adopted it as its national project in 2025.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s a collaboration on impressive scale,\u201d Nettleton noted. Coordinated with Ecuador's Instituto Geogr\u00e1fico Military in conjunction with La Escuela Superior Polit\u00e9cnica del Litoral, it involves GIS experts from Esri, federal agencies, research universities, and regional NGOs.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To kick off the pilot, the multi-agency team hosted expert-led workshops for participants from Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, and other countries in the region at AmeriGEO 2025. The event provided a forum for sharing research on ocean plastics and discussing ways to scale the project. A key principle of the pilot is to establish local ownership of mapping and intervention. This requires technical assistance, mentoring, and capacity building. Esri Ecuador and Esri Colombia are supporting the effort.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u201cWhat we\u2019re learning from Ecuador is if it\u2019s a local problem, the local folks probably know where it is,\u201d Nettleton said. \u201cAnd if we can provide the tools to put what they know on a map, we can inform leaders of plastic origins so they can put policy, funding, and resources behind a solution.\u201d<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772364,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a few short months, the Ecuador pilot team created detailed maps of local beaches, watersheds, and ocean currents. The maps give locals a bigger picture of what\u2019s happening where. It\u2019s clarity that connects solutions to the places they\u2019re needed most\u2014in areas with high plastic emissions and in tourism centers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Picking Off Plastic Pollution Hot Spots<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After refining the dashboard through the Ecuador pilot, OpenOceans Global plans to expand it to regions with the worst plastic pollution. In <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1146722704\">a recent talk<\/a> at the University of California San Diego, Nettleton shared data on the world\u2019s top rivers carrying plastic to the ocean, highlighting where to focus solutions.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":772599,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As much as 55 percent of ocean plastic reaches the ocean from five countries, according to a Florida State University study. That includes China, the Philippines, India, Brazil, and Indonesia. The Philippines, the largest source of river-contributed plastic, presents a unique opportunity.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cImagine an international effort focused on the Philippines in a positive way,\u201d Nettleton said. \u201cNot to blame anyone, but to help solve the problem.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He imagines the Philippines as a zero-ocean-plastic nation. And then, what is learned could be applied to the next top pollution hot spots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Persistent Challenges and What\u2019s Next <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite progress, OpenOceans Global still faces challenges with data accuracy, especially since some valuable datasets are no longer publicly available or regularly updated. But GIS is catching mistakes automatically, like spell-check for maps. It flags missing or incorrect information so the team can fix it. <a href=\"https:\/\/livingatlas.arcgis.com\/en\/home\/\">Authoritative basemaps, demographics, and content from Esri<\/a>\u2014curated from vetted sources and evaluated for quality\u2014help fill data gaps.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another approach involves engaging university groups, NGOs, and volunteers in data collection and mapping to enhance the Ocean Plastic Map. Nettleton envisions something like NASA\u2019s citizen science program that\u2019s had over two million participants and many significant new discoveries.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To bring it all together, the OpenOceans Global team is building a GIS hub for organizing people, data, projects, and tools in one place. The site will feature global best practices and targeted interventions to meet the unique needs of different areas. Local actions might include floating trash barriers, community cleanups, AI monitoring, or biodegradable innovations. The plan is to rate solutions by effectiveness and update them with feedback from the field.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Why Local Leadership May Outpace Global Policy<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With or without an international treaty to tackle plastic pollution, the OpenOceans Global OPP initiative with Ecuador holds great promise. Communities are beginning to see a path for cleaning up their regional waterways. Equally impactful as solving the problem is giving people the tools and confidence to take action where it matters most to them\u2014both now and in the future.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe can\u2019t recycle our way out of this problem,\u201d said Nettleton. \u201cEven slowing plastic production today would require decades of pollution cleanup.\u201d For communities like those along Ecuador\u2019s rivers and beaches, the map isn\u2019t a policy instrument\u2014it\u2019s changing what people believe they can achieve.<\/p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more about how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/about\/science\/initiatives\/ocean-science\">GIS is used to explore, map, visualize, analyze, and protect the ocean<\/a>.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OpenOceans promotes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openoceans.org\/solutions\">plastic pollution solutions<\/a>, including the following interventions:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>CSIRO Marine Debris Research<\/strong> monitors plastic pollution with AI.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Bricks &amp; Blocks by Conceptos Plasticos<\/strong> turns plastic pollution into a construction system, assembling houses and schools for vulnerable populations.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Notpla <\/strong>offers advanced, sustainable packaging solutions as an alternative to single-use plastic.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Loop <\/strong>turns discarded PET plastic into next-gen materials to power circular supply chains.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Clean Sea Solutions<\/strong> uses an all-electric, unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to remove plastic waste in ports, canals, rivers, river mouths, and other marine environments.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Blueview Footwear<\/strong> offers high-quality, plant-based shoes that won\u2019t hurt our planet or pollute our oceans.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Sungai Watch<\/strong> installs simple trash barriers in the rivers of Bali, making it easier for clean-up crews to collect plastic pollution.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Icthion Azure <\/strong>offers enhanced barriers for deployment in rivers to prevent plastic waste from reaching marine environments. It can collect up to 80 tons of plastic per day from any river.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Norway\u2019s Plastic Bottle Recycling Program<\/strong>, a Norwegian extended producer responsibility initiative, collects and recycles beverage bottles and cans. It has achieved a recycling rate of more than 95 percent.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mapping Ocean Plastic Solutions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"OpenOceans Global is mapping the world\u2019s most plastic-polluted beaches and working with local communities to pinpoint the sources.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-ocean-plastic-solutions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mapping Ocean Plastic Solutions, from Local Watersheds to Global Waters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"OpenOceans 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