Floating sensors predict plastic on Galapagos beaches

As part of their Galapagos Plastic Free project, physicists Stefanie Ypma and Erik van Sebille are developing an app that tells park rangers on the Galapagos Islands where they can clean up plastic every day. The researchers use drifters, or "floating sensors," to create a model of the complicated ocean currents in and around the archipelago. The first batch of drifters was put to sea from a boat this week. The location of the drifters can be followed live on an interactive map.