Have you started planning your gifts this giving season? 🎁
Our new AUSMAP caps are the perfect stocking filler and all proceeds go to supporting AUSMAP’s work putting microplastics on the map and advocating for real solutions!
Follow the link in bio to grab one before they sell out! 🌊
AUSMAP is a nationwide program using citizen science to document microplastic pollution. Our mission is to lead Australia in addressing the microplastic crisis by empowering communities, and advancing knowledge and solutions to drive change for a cleaner, healthier future. By combining data, education, and advocacy, we give nature and community a powerful voice at the table with real solutions that reduce microplastic pollution 🌊🔍🤍
#microplastics #plasticpollution #ausmap #plastic #pollution #australia
AUSMAP releases the most comprehensive snapshot of microplastic pollution across NSW shorelines to date.
The report titled “Do We Have a Microplastic Problem in NSW Coastal Waterways?” compiles seven years of data collected by over 5,000 individuals, revealing persistent microplastic hotspots sites and the most prevalent microplastic types detected in NSW waterways.
The results are alarming; While Sydney stands out as the state’s most consistently impacted region, other heavily urbanised areas have also recorded elevated levels of microplastics. Some Sydney sites exceeded 10,000 microplastics per square metre along the high-tide line.
Read the full report - link in bio.
Take action: Share our report with your network, write to your local MP and share your concerns about microplastic pollution along NSW’s coastlines!
This report would not have been possible without the dedication of the many current and former AUSMAP and Total Environment Centre staff, interns, and volunteers who have contributed to sampling, data collection, and analysis over time. Their efforts have laid the foundation for this report, and their contribution to understanding microplastic pollution across Australia is sincerely acknowledged.
#microplastics #pollution #plasticpollution #AUSMAP #Australia #Sydney #Microplastic
How much microplastic pollution is at your favourite beach?
Aussies, check out the AUSMAP hot spot map to see where microplastics have been found in Australia.
If you want to learn more about microplastics, follow @ausmap_au
#microplastic #citizenscience #plasticpollution #beachpollution
They all started on a construction site!
Plastic construction waste unfortunately doesn’t just stay on building sites 🏗️🌊
From cable ties and insulation foam to tile spacers and wall plugs, construction-related debris is increasingly being found during beach cleans across Australia.
Once these materials enter waterways, they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, contributing to the growing microplastic problem impacting our coastlines and marine life.
Every item collected helps build a clearer picture of where pollution is coming from and why prevention at the source matters.
What plastic construction item have you found on your beach clean? Comment below.
#ausmap #microplastics #plasticpollution #australia #pollution
This week, students from @redlandsschool headed into the field to uncover the secret world of microplastics! 🌊🔬
The students carried out their very own AUSMAP microplastic survey, learning firsthand how scientists can monitor plastic pollution in our waterways.
Over the coming weeks, they’ll take their investigation even further by sorting through their samples to discover just how much microplastic pollution was collected and what types of plastics were found.
From citizen scientists to future environmental leaders, these students are contributing to real-world research helping us better understand microplastic pollution across Australia!
🌏 Microplastics are everywhere, from the food we eat, to the deepest parts of our ocean and even our...
Atmosphere!
That’s right. Microplastics and nanoplastics are so small and light that they can become airborne, travelling through our atmosphere. However, the effect of these particles on our climate is still widely unknown.
Scientists at Fudan University and Duke University are at the forefront of this research, working to understand how microplastics interact with light (their “optical properties”) and whether they contribute to warming or cooling our atmosphere.
The results of their study showed:
🌡️Almost all microplastic particles tested showed a net atmospheric warming effect
🌈Coloured microplastics showed a greater warming effect than transparent or white particles
🌏In ocean regions with extremely high plastic concentrations, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the warming effect of microplastics could locally exceed that of black carbon by nearly five times
On a global scale, this warming effect is still relatively small. However, with plastic pollution and airborne plastic concentrations expected to increase, researchers suggest this impact could grow over time.
Further research is still needed to better understand both the concentration of airborne plastics in our environment and their potential climate impacts!
🔍At AUSMAP, we monitor microplastic levels in waterways across the country to identify pollution hotspots and support solutions at the source.
#Microplastics #ClimateChange #PlasticPollution #CitizenScience #AUSMAP #OceanHealth #MicroplasticResearch
Happy 100th Birthday to Sir David Attenborough!
In his long dedication to protecting the natural world, Sir David has been an inspiration to past and present generations - and his legacy will no doubt live on.
Jeff Angel, Director, Total Environment Centre
Have you been spotted in our new hat? 👀
Swipe to see some recent sightings featuring a few familiar faces, including our AUSMAP team and other incredible ocean advocates! 🔍💙🌊
Get your “make love not microplastic” hat today! The link is in our bio! 🔍
April AUSMAP photo dump! 🔍💙
Swipe to see photos from some amazing volunteers caring for their waterways and mapping microplastic pollution! 💙
Slide 1-2: Lovely day for a community Sample with Dr Amanda Cohn and the Central Coast Greens at Terrigal Lagoon, Darkinjung Country NSW on the 19th April with 15 attendees!
Slide 3-4: New volunteers joined us at our monthly Manly Cove/ Kai’ymay sample and were unfortunately introduced to pellets, picking a total of 509 out of the high tide line.
Slide 5-7: A big month of pellet spotting continues with Dr Natasha collecting plenty from Quarantine Beach, Kai’ymay Country. Can you spot them in the sieve on slide 7? You can see a handful collected on slide 9.
Slide 8-9: A repeat sample by Dr Natasha at Whale Beach, Garigal Country NSW with on this occasion recording 0 plastics along the high tide line!! Couldn’t escape the macro litter unfortunately.
Slide 10: An amazing morning with the Rakuten team takin an AUSMAP survey at Rose Bay Beach!
Thank you to all the volunteers who make AUSMAP all that we can be! Whether it’s processing samples in our office or getting out in the field, this data helps inform the community, council and government to work towards putting a stop to microplastics at the source!
See you next month! 🌏🔍
At first glance, you might think our shorelines don’t have a plastic problem… but take a closer look and you can’t unsee just how much microplastic there really is 😅
Manly Cove is one of Sydney’s most consistent microplastic hotspot sites.
Since 2018 AUSMAP has been sampling at this site with the help over over 700 volunteers! During that time, microplastic pollution levels at Manly Cove have increased 7-fold!
Want to see the problem first hand and help us take our monthly survey?
Join us this Sunday:
📍Manly Cove, West Esplanade
Meet on the beach in front of the Manly Art Gallery and Museum
📆Sunday 3rd May
⏰ 10am - 12pm
For more information and to register see the link in bio.
#ausmap #microplastics #plasticpollution #pollution #australia
Plastic is everywhere! As a consumer it’s pretty hard to avoid when going to the grocery store. How can we live a plastic free life if we don’t even have the option?
@boomerangalliance and @marineconservation.au conducted an audit with hundreds of mystery shoppers which revealed that buying plastic-free fresh produce often comes at a higher cost, with loose items more expensive than their pre-packaged equivalents in 73% of cases!!
Plastic breaks up not down! AUSMAP data shows that hard plastic is the most common microplastic in our environment and comes from the break UP of larger plastic items.
What is the worse case of unnecessary plastic use you’ve seen at your local grocery store?
Comment below!
#ausmap #microplastics #plasticpollution #australia #pollution
AUSMAP is proud to be part of Ocean Protect’s Stormwater Fundamentals Series, bringing together science, industry, and community to tackle pollution at its source.
Join Dr Natasha Franklin as she breaks down the results of our newly release report “Do We Have a Microplastic Problem in NSW Coastal Waterways?”
Learn about whats driving microplastic pollution, the most common plastic types found and have your microplastic questions answered in the Q&A session.
📅 April 29, 2026 🕒 12:30 PM
🔗 Follow the link in bio to register.
