Ten member countries of JPI Oceans (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) decided to allocate funds to a joint call on microplastics which was launched in January 2015. The call comprised three main themes:
- Validation and harmonisation of analytical methods (interlaboratory study)
- Identification and quantification of microplastics
- Eco-toxicological effects of microplastic – impact on marine organisms
Through the competitive call process, organised by Project Management Jülich (PtJ) in Germany, 21 joint proposals requested more than €26 million. Based on the evaluations by an expert panel, member countries selected four proposals for funding from December 2015 for a three year period with a total budget of €7.7m. The four projects will work towards harmonising methods for monitoring, extracting and analysing microplastic particles, improving the identification and quantification of microplastics, as well as further our understanding of the ecotoxicological effects of the microplastics on marine life:
- BASEMAN - Defining the baselines and standards for microplastics analyses in European waters
- WEATHER-MIC - How microplastic weathering changes its transport, fate and toxicity in the marine environment
- EPHEMARE - Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine ecosystems
- PLASTOX - Direct and indirect ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics on marine organisms