Duration: June 2021 – Present

​

The project

​

The oceans are home to an extraordinary and surprising diversity of life, but the amount of litter that fauna and flora share this giant habitat with is concerning.

There are more than 150 million tonnes of plastic waste drifting in the oceans, according to data from the European Parliament. On Portuguese beaches, 90% of marine litter found is plastic, of which 31% is from single-use products and 9.6% comes from fishing. This means that we are all responsible for the negative impact generated to marine ecosystems by the unaware use of polluting and almost indestructible materials such as plastic.

 

Marine litter can represent a weapon, which compromises the health and life of those who live there, which by chain effect eventually reaches our body and quality of life. Threats such as the trapping of animals, the ingestion of plastic waste, the transport of invasive exotic species, the degradation into small fragments and entry into the food chain, are some of the main impacts of marine litter. 

 

Agir entre Marés was born in June 2021, with the aim of contributing to the conservation of marine and estuarine ecosystems, as well as generating greater community involvement in order to increase awareness and environmental literacy about the ocean and the resources it contains. The monthly actions take place in the Local Nature Reserve of the Douro Estuary, in Vila Nova de Gaia, and on the northern coast.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

 

 

 

Several partnerships were established in order to strengthen ties between the associative and also business sector, aiming to extend the reach of the project.

Thus, we have the collaboration of the Municipality of Gaia (Local Nature Reserve of the Douro Estuary), AMO Portugal (Associação Mãos à Obra), Novaterra Arte, Cultura e Ambiente, VO.U. (Voluntariado Universitário da Universidade do Porto), aCORDA Portugal (Associação Oceanos Sem Plásticos) and the company Acqua Douro. With this network of partners, we have brought together in the same equation, community - environment - culture - economy.

 

After 8 months, 8 waste collection actions have been registered and, involving more than 150 volunteers, it was possible to collect more than 760 kg of marine litter. In addition to civic action, we organized 2 musical moments with the female choir of Novaterra and two musicians and instrumentalists, in order to promote the well-being and connection to nature and the community. Additionally, we collaborated in the International Coastal Clean-up Day by collecting and monitoring marine litter, a national event promoted by the Fundação Oceano Azul.

​

​

If you would like to organise a beach clean-up and need support or partnership, you can contact geral.bioliving@gmail.com

​

​