TeamSeas and The Ocean Cleanup

TeamSeas is a fundraising campaign, initiated by Mark Rober and MrBeast, content creators on YouTube. The campaign’s goal is to raise 30 million USD to remove 30 million pounds of trash polluting coastal regions, rivers, and ultimately oceans. The funds raised will go to two organizations, split equally: The Ocean Cleanup and Ocean Conservancy. Watch Mark Rober and Boyan Slat chat about the Interceptor solution in the Dominican Republic in this video.

Mark Rober and Boyan Slat discussing the partnership

The Interceptor

Stopping plastic before it enters the ocean is an essential part of reducing ocean plastic pollution. The Ocean Cleanup is already cleaning up in rivers worldwide, intercepting over 1 million kg (2.2 million lbs) to date. With the help of TeamSeas, we will be able to fund additional river cleanup solutions.

The TeamSeas campaign will help fund both the operation of some currently deployed Interceptors and the deployment of additional Interceptor solution deployments. Working with local partners such as the UNDP, The Ocean Cleanup will target rivers in Indonesia and the Dominican Republic. Because we must work with the right partners to ensure we are deploying the right solutions in the right places, new deployments with the TeamSeas campaign will begin in 2023.

Interceptors explained

More about The Ocean Cleanup

At 16 years old, Boyan Slat saw more plastic bags than fish when scuba diving in Greece. He thought: “Why can’t we just clean this up?” This question led him to research the plastic pollution problem for a school project and develop an idea on how to clean it up. In 2012, Boyan Slat presented his concept at a TEDx talk, and the video went viral. The momentum that followed allowed him to drop out of school and found The Ocean Cleanup in 2013. The team now consists of 110+ people working on research, development, and operation of cleanup technology.

Boyan Slat on the Interceptor 002 in Klang River, Malaysia
Boyan Slat on the Interceptor 002 in Klang River, Malaysia

Other ways to participate

  • Spread our mission

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