CORE RESEARCH AREAS
Located within the North Pacific Gyre, CMDR is the global hub of excellence for plastic pollution research. For such an interdisciplinary field, expertise spans across the basic scientific disciplines with an emphasis on the marine environment. Academic, government, and industry scientists collaborate together to advance the knowledge of plastic pollution, while working with policymakers to find and implement viable solutions.
BIOLOGY
We study biological impacts, such as entanglement, ingestion, and toxicity of plastic pollution on marine species to understand the adverse impacts on individuals to ecosystems.
CHEMISTRY
We identify the polymers, additives, and surface chemistry of plastic pollution to understand the physical and chemical properties
PHYSICS
We investigate the physical transport and fragmentation process of plastic in the environment to understand its sources and fate.
ENGINEERING
We develop optimal methods to quantify plastic pollution for accurate analysis and reporting, as well as engineering solutions to reuse plastic pollution in infrastructure.
ECONOMICS
We assess the economic impact of plastic pollution to incorporate into plastic product life cycle analysis.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
We monitor the effectiveness of policies intended to reduce plastic pollution to inform policymakers, industry, and the general public.
SIZE CLASSES
CMDR’s research spans across all size classes of plastic pollution from developing nanoplastic reference materials to removing and sourcing megaplastic.
