Massive Open Online Course on Marine Litter
More than 32,000 people have registered for the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Marine Litter, since it was launched in 2015. This free, online course equips people with the knowledge and skills to take evidence-based, targeted action to tackle marine litter. The MOOC is now available in 10 languages. Stay tuned for 2022 enrollment!
"I am filled with admiration and respect for the academics and organisations who’ve collaborated to bring the next course offering to fruition to inspire action towards the attainment of UN SDG14. I highly recommend it." Alison Foley, Founder of Ten Little Pieces
General Course Information
الدور القمامة البحرية [pdf] | 大规模在线开放课程海洋垃圾 [pdf] | English [pdf] | MOOC déchets marins [pdf] | Kursus Online Terbuka Masif tentang Marine Litter [pdf] | Curso Online Aberto e Massivo em Lixo Marinho [pdf] | открытый онлайн-курс по морскому мусору [pdf] | MOOC sobre Basura Marina [pdf] | บทเรียนออนไลน์แบบเปิดเพื่อมหาชน เรื่องขยะทางทะเล [pdf] | Khóa học trực tuyến mở về Rác thải Biển [pdf]
Training of Trainers on Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics
The Training of Trainers on Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics is a joint project between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Programme of Action (GPA), the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), the Open Universiteit of the Netherlands and relevant partners in the regions.
17 countries have already taken part, and we are always look for opportunities to plan more regional training sessions, in more languages. The training addresses the need for quality data and effective monitoring of land and sea-based sources, quantities, fate and impact of marine litter and strengthen the capacity of countries to use an evidence-based approach to decision making in support of e.g. SDG 14.1.1.
The training is based on the “Guidelines for the Monitoring and Assessment of Plastic Litter in the Ocean” developed by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP).
Mombasa, Kenya:
The first Training of Trainers on Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics took place in Mombasa, Kenya, 5-9 August 2019.
The Training of Trainers on Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics held in Mombasa, Kenya was a joint programme between UNEP, the GPA, the GPML, the Open University of the Netherlands, the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (FMFRI) and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA). The training aimed to support the establishment and strengthening of marine litter monitoring and assessment programmes in the Western Indian Ocean Region (Nairobi Convention).
Bali, Indonesia:
The second Training of Trainers on Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics took place in Bali, Indonesia, 9-13 September 2019.
The training was a joint project between the United Nations Environment Programme, the Global Programme of Action (GPA), the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), the Open Universiteit of the Netherlands and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA). The training was implemented in partnership with the Regional Capacity Center on Clean Seas (RC3S) and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia.
Please find the report of the training here.
If you are interested in partnering to hold a future training, please contact us: [email protected]
National Source Inventories
In 2019, two national marine litter data collection training workshops were held in Kenya (13-22 August) and Seychelles (26 August–4 September). These events, which involved both classroom and fieldwork trainings, were organized under the project “Implementation on UN Environment Assembly Resolutions on Marine Litter and Microplastics”.
The activities were supported by the GPML which is hosted within the GPA. The workshops were effected through partnerships between UNEP and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of Kenya, and the Environment Department of Seychelles. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) provided technical support for the execution of the trainings and data collection. UNEP also worked in close collaboration with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), WIOMSA, and the Nairobi Convention for the Kenya workshop.
The aim of the workshops was to build capacity for marine litter monitoring while simultaneously collecting a strong baseline data on marine litter in these countries, and ultimately build towards the development of national action plans on marine litter for Kenya and the Seychelles.
