The Ocean Travelers project is a citizen science project promoted by theSmithsonian Environmental Research Center and by the Chilean NGO Cientificos la Basura and represents a joint effort of multiple institutions, which values international collaboration and the involvement of a wide community of stakeholders.

The aim of the project is to identify organisms (epibionts) which travel across the ocean on floating objects, for example on logs and wooden boards, pumice, seeds and other organisms, and which more recently also use plastic and other materials as substrates created by Man. Unlike natural materials, new artificial habitats persist for a long time on the surface of the ocean, and allow epibionts to travel great distances, reaching new continents and remote areas where they can become invasive species.

The aim is to identify these organisms, their origins and abundances, with a view to protecting local marine communities.

Information leaflet (pdf in english)