Plastic Litter Project 2026

PLP2026 marks a new chapter in the Plastic Litter Project, continuing the exploration of satellite remote sensing as a tool for detecting and monitoring floating marine plastics.

This year’s experiment focuses on a fundamental question:

How much floating plastic is needed before satellites can detect it?

To investigate this, three floating targets made of white high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh, measuring 18, 45, and 90 m², were deployed in the sheltered waters of the Gulf of Gera, Lesvos, Greece.

The experiment brings together observations from four satellite missions—Sentinel-2, PlanetScope, EnMAP, and PRISMA—alongside Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) imagery collected using a MicaSense P Dual multispectral sensor and a DJI Mavic 3. 

Each satellite observes the Earth’s surface at different spatial and spectral resolutions. The nominal areas of the three targets were selected to represent approximately 2%, 5%, and 10% of the area of a 30 m satellite pixel, allowing researchers to investigate how target size relates to the detectability of floating plastic in satellite imagery. 

By combining satellite observations with UAV imagery and field observations, PLP2026 investigates how floating plastic targets appear in satellite imagery and how their detectability varies with target size, sensor characteristics, and observation conditions. The project also explores the potential of multispectral and hyperspectral data to distinguish floating plastic targets from above.

The ultimate goal? To advance our understanding of what satellites can detect and help improve remote sensing techniques for monitoring floating plastic pollution in our seas.