Urban Knights

Marine debris is divided into land-based and sea-based, and the majority of them originate from land. Reducing land-based debris is crucial to preventing debris from flowing into the ocean via rivers or wind. However, the types and amounts of urban debris that are lost to rivers or wind are largely unknown, and data on this is lacking.

Citizen science can expand monitoring to areas that are geographically difficult for scientists to access, and can raise awareness and drive real change in preventing urban debris from flowing out.
The Urban Knights program is part of a citizen science program called the Urban Knights, which collects marine debris data using a variety of methods (smartphones, drones, underwater cameras, etc.) in various areas such as cities, coasts, and the ocean. Through the Urban Knights, anyone can easily practice citizen science through daily hobby activities without going far. Anyone can become an Urban Knight by creating an account and understanding the simple methodology.

Tracking the generation of waste in cities is effective in increasing the level of waste documentation and preventing it from flowing into the ocean in advance.