About Project KAisei

Project Kaisei

roject Kaisei is the ocean clean-up initiative of Ocean Voyages Institute, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. It was established to focus on major ocean clean-up and to raise awareness regarding the global problem of marine debris/ocean trash. Since its inception in 2009, Project Kaisei heralds the need for our ocean ecosystem to recover and takes action both on land and in the sea. To date, Ocean Voyages / Project Kaisei has:

Sailed S/V Kaisei
Project Kaisei’s flagship, on three scientific voyages to the North Pacific Gyre, 2009, 2011 & 2012
maritime education
Participated in maritime education festivals in San Diego, California and Richmond City, British Columbia
Marine Debris
Convened a Marine Debris Collection Equipment Think Tank

Educational presentations
Made educational presentations all over the world
Recognition
Received national and international recognition
Created a documentary
Created a documentary for educational distribution (in final editing)

he vital connection between the health of our global ocean, the health of our planet and our own health is intertwined. It is imperative to stop the flow of marine litter and toxins into our oceans. It is of equal importance to begin significant clean-up efforts along all coast lines and in the Gyres. We must take responsibility, as part of the problem and part of the solution, in order to restore the ocean’s ecosystem and preserve our ocean for future generations. In 2013, Project Kaisei continues this focus.

The Problem

e live in a time when nearly every problem has a solution. We must make protecting 72% of our planet a priority. The health of our blue heart – the global ocean is vital to our own health and health of the planet. Project Kaisei and our collaborators around the world believe now is the time to protect our ocean.” Mary Crowley

Every year over 300 million tons of plastic are produced, much of it for one-time use and less than 5% of the world’s plastics are recycled. National Geographic estimates that over 85 million plastic bottles are used every three minutes. In many cases, plastic waste that is not incinerated or land-filled makes its way to the oceans.

Currently there are no proposed solutions to resolve the issue of removal of marine debris floating in the oceans. Most believe it is not possible to clean such a vast region, and aim for more responsible handling of waste on shore. Using advanced technology, however, Project Kaisei will test existing technologies to learn if debris collected in the Plastic Vortex can be detoxified and processed into fuel via a patented technology that is now just beginning operations in a number of countries.

Pollution Generators

In terms of our general population, many people are not aware of the problems in our oceans, ranging from:

Proliferation of plastics
Overfishing and illegal fishing methods
Marine debris
Acidification
Temperature rise
Continued coastal development

Pollution Issues

The significant problem of marine debris/ocean trash manifesting in our ocean gyres is exacerbated by the following issues:

The plastic vortex is not visible to the general public. This creates a special problem of awareness of the depth and breadth of the issue. Scientific research, news reporting, films, pictures and personal voyages continue to evolve and now highlight this global problem.
Incidents in international waters were difficult to identify and prosecute. International cooperation is now beginning to generate guidelines for support of our global ocean.
Economics and cultural dynamics add to the diverse problems encountered by the marine debris issue. Bringing together governments, public and private sectors and industry specialists is establishing a united front for developing solutions.

“The oceans are the blue heart of our planet.
For a healthy earth we must give our ocean ecosystem a chance to recover.
Project Kaisei heralds that chance.”

The Plastic Vortex

he “Plastic Vortex,” or what is sometimes referred to as the “garbage patch,” is within an area that is technically referred to as the the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone. This area does not have rigid physical boundaries, and varies seasonally in both size and position. Floating patches have been reported by sailors and fishermen, but relative to the large area of the North Pacific Ocean, large masses are not observed frequently. No one really knows how big this area is, and this is one reason for further testing and analysis by Project Kaisei’s science team.

Why is the Plastic Vortex a problem?

Plastics and other wastes in the oceans:

Marine life
Can kill marine life.
May be entering our food chain
Studies on this issue will be undertaken by the Project Kaisei Science Team and other researchers.
Waste Management Practices
Continues to increase due to poor waste management practices on land and sea.
Health and Safety
Can have a negative effect on people’s health and safety.

click on the image to find out more

t is estimated that over 60% of the plastic and other wastes (including rubber and aluminum) in the ocean come from land-based sources, and once in the sea, they are at the mercy of the confluence of tides, currents and winds because they are buoyant. Over time through exposure to the sun and heat, some plastic materials can disintegrate into ever smaller pieces due to weather and UV impact.

The North Pacific Gyre

he North Pacific Gyre, located between Asia and the US, is formed by four major ocean currents creating a vortex of scattered fields and rivers of trash. This area of water coupled with the garbage it accumulates swirls slowly creating a hazard for mariners, sea life and all life on the planet. The disbursement of this plastic trash is spread out over thousands of square miles of ocean and is commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Of the 11 major gyres in the world, the North Pacific Gyre presents the greatest mass of pollution. Large accumulations of sub-surface and floating garbage (most of it plastic) converge in certain current conditions while other areas of the Gyre resemble fields of garbage. This vast, dense and diverse expanse of marine debris/ocean trash has become the world’s largest toxic dump. The Atlantic and Indian oceans are not far behind.

Scientific Expeditions

ll three expeditions of the S/V Kaisei, our 151-foot Brigantine, to the North Pacific Gyre, have been scientific sampling and data collecting voyages. Taking place in 2009, 2010 and 2012, the results continue to bring vital research from analysis for the development and testing of collection equipment prototypes. This process continues to define and ultimately addresses the problem of plastic waste in our global ocean. These expeditions galvanize tremendous international recognition of this global problem.

Research from the expeditions has resulted in a clarification of the types of marine debris in the global ocean and possible solutions:

Ghost nets
Ranging anywhere from 300 lbs to five tons. Removal – using tugs, barges, cranes and excavators (ocean industry equipment).
Floating Consumer Plastics
Laundry detergent and bleach bottles, drink crates, pails, car fenders and the like. Removal – use of fishing vessels by adapting nets to collect within the first 10 feet of depth. Project Kaisei advocates the policy of paying fishermen to do ocean clean-up as they are ideal ocean stewards.

Smaller Plastic Articles and Crushed Plastics
Toothbrushes, children’s toys, plastic debris that has gone through crushers, etc. Removal – oil abatement equipment such as oil skimmers can be adapted to clean-up small debris. Oil skimmers exist and are unused except for disasters.
Micro Plastics
Including pre-production plastic pellets (the form in which plastic is shipped), degraded plastics. Removal – we are creating passive collection devices using principles of biomimicry (based on nature).

he Marine Debris Collection Equipment Think Tank convened by Project Kaisei has an excellent team of naval architects and marine scientists who assist with the design and evaluation of innovative approaches for marine debris collection devices and systems. Adapting traditional fishing methods, such as purse seining and trawling, as well as oil spill clean-up technology (skimmers) for collecting plastic at surface level are included from this group’s evaluation process. Project Kaisei continues to focus on solutions, major clean-up, global education and prevention.