Closing the Microplastics Data Gap
Towards a Harmonised European 'Monitoring-to-Action' Framework
To tackle microplastic pollution, Europe needs comparable evidence across space and time.
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Comparable evidence across space and time is a prerequisite for action: it enables hotspot identification, trend analysis and evaluation of prevention measures.
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Yet this comprehensive picture is still missing. |
Despite more than two decades of research and policy attention, microplastic monitoring data across Europe’s waters remain fragmented and difficult to compare.
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The gap persists for clear reasons. |
Non-harmonised methods, costly analyses, and limited spatial and temporal coverage continue to hinder monitoring at scale.
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Erasmus Maris helps close the microplastics data gap by making microplastic monitoring in surface waters:
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More Accessible
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Quality Assured
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Sustainable
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Erasmus Maris connects secondary schools, scientific partners, expert laboratories, public authorities and local stakeholders through a harmonised method for microplastic screening in marine and fresh waters.
Its quality-assured citizen-science framework combines a harmonised Standard Operating Procedure, teacher training and certification, reference materials, interlaboratory comparison, and structured data reporting.
Its quality-assured citizen-science framework combines a harmonised Standard Operating Procedure, teacher training and certification, reference materials, interlaboratory comparison, and structured data reporting.
The approach was developed and validated through a strategic partnership between
Scientific evidence for wider deployment
The 2026 report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre marks a milestone for scalable microplastic screening in surface waters.
The JRC assessed the Erasmus Maris SOP through comparison exercises with trained teachers, expert laboratories and Member State laboratories. It shows that citizen science microplastic monitoring can complement expert approaches by integrating trained teachers into a scalable, quality-assured citizen science framework for generating harmonised and comparable screening data. The report has also been presented in the context of the MSFD Technical Group on Marine Litter, opening discussion at EU level on how this approach could create a complementary screening layer to increase monitoring coverage |
The initiative combines training, QA/QC, reference materials, interlaboratory comparison and structured data reporting to improve the comparability of screening data across sites, countries and water systems.
Regional deployment pathways explore how this evidence can support early warning, hotspot interpretation and follow-up action across the river–sea continuum.
Regional deployment pathways explore how this evidence can support early warning, hotspot interpretation and follow-up action across the river–sea continuum.
Regional demonstration contexts
Erasmus Maris is being applied in two complementary monitoring contexts: river-basin screening in Flanders (Belgium) and coastal marine screening in the Comunidad Valenciana (Spain).
Comunidad Valenciana — coastal marine screening. Secondary schools and scientific partners apply the Erasmus Maris workflow in coastal monitoring contexts, with universities and regional actors supporting training, QA/QC, validation and interpretation. |
Flanders — river-basin screening
Secondary schools act as monitoring nodes for river microplastics screening, with scientific and public partners supporting QA/QC, interpretation and links to water-management needs. |
