Tara Microplastics 2019
An expedition along 9 major European rivers to describe and understand the origins and flux of plastic waste.
In brief
From sea to land
This freshwater expedition, following the 9 major rivers that traverse the countryside, cities and towns of Europe, was a reminder of our often forgotten link with the Ocean.
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7months of expedition
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2 700samples
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5proposed amendments to the circular economy law
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140million plastic bottles per year discarded in nature in France
« For a long time we thought that transformation of plastics into microplastics happened at sea, under the influence of sun and waves. However, the process also seems to be taking place in rivers and their catchment areas. Our research is making it possible to better understand the phenomena of plastic fragmentation, quantify what comes from rivers, and assess the nature of plastic pollution in order to guide the measures to be taken. »
Jean-François Ghiglione, director of research, CNRS
Common Idea: It’s possible to walk on the “plastic continent”. No! The image of a “continent” suggests the magnitude of the phenomenon, but does not mean dry land.
Researchers speak of plastic “soup”, a mixture of large and small plastics accumulating in certain places at the ocean’s surface.
We still have a lot to learn about the « plastic empire » — pollution detected 40 years ago in every corner of the world.
Up to 11 million tonnes of plastic are released into the ocean each year, according to current scientific models. The number of plastic fragments in the ocean is estimated at 5,000 billion—equal to the total quantity of zooplankton in the Mediterranean—one of the world’s most polluted seas.
Why does this massive quantity of plastic, undoubtedly toxic, flow increasingly into the waters of the Blue Planet? The schooner Tara, with her partners and sponsors, set out to answer this question in 2019.
Goals
Finding the origins of marine plastic pollution
Identify sources of pollution, understand their fragmentation in rivers and predict their dispersion into the Ocean.
Understanding the impacts on biodiversity and their toxicity to marine organisms
© Anna Deniaud
Stakes
Plastic at sea — the solutions are on land!
Given the impossibility of collecting microplastics from the sea, the most effective solution is to stem the flow of waste from the continents.
‘Identifying the sources of these flows is essential for implementing effective public policies. This mission by the Tara Ocean Foundation and the CNRS, although brief, will provide some clues for refining future approaches and modelling flows,’ explains Romain Troublé, Director General of the Tara Ocean Foundation.
Better assessing the sources of microplastics and their fate at sea is a scientific and political challenge that will enable us to combat this pollution more effectively, while making progress in reduction, reuse, repair and recycling: contributing to the debate and actions of the circular economy.
© Noelie Pansiot
Scientific publications
Jean-François Ghiglione
Scientific director of the Tara Microplastics Mission, CNRS director of research
Romain Troublé
Executive director of the Tara Ocean Foundation
Labs & partners
Dive into the expedition
Ocean Culture
Tara
News
Artistic News
6 February 2026
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