Mediterranean Sea Research Expedition 2022

Baited underwater cameras and microplastics fieldwork from Barcelona to Greece

In July 2022, Ocean First Institute partnered with the Ocean Conservation Exploration & Education Foundation (OCEEF) on a Mediterranean crossing aboard the research vessel Odyssey. The route from Barcelona to Greece gave the team an opportunity to look for sharks and other marine life and to sample surface waters for microplastics.

Watching for sharks underwater

The team used baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs). Cameras point toward a bait cage and record animals that approach. Researchers can review the footage to identify species and compare what appears across deployments without catching or handling animals.

Sampling for microplastics

The expedition’s sampling plan called for towing a fine-mesh plankton net from a small boat. The net concentrates material from the water so researchers can sort the sample and save any suspected plastic fragments or fibers for closer examination.

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Photos from the expedition

Two expedition crew members aboard a small boat, one holding a line at the stern — Working from a small boat during the Mediterranean crossing.

Crew member holding a coil of rope while another works beside equipment on deck — A closer look at the lines and field gear.

Monitoring screens in the vessel’s control room — Monitoring screens in the research vessel’s control room.

Expedition participants examining a camera aboard a small boat — Examining a camera aboard a small boat.

An expedition participant aboard a small boat with the research vessel in the distance — Aboard a small boat with the research vessel in the distance.

Photos from OFI’s 2022 Mediterranean expedition archive.