HLSCC Cams Shares Groundbreaking Marine Plastic Study
The Centre for Applied Marine Studies (CAMS) at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College presented results from a first-of-its-kind Caribbean marine plastic tracking study on World Oceans Day, 8 June 2026, showing how quickly single-use plastics can travel across regional waters. The Ocean Technology Pilot Project, launched in 2025 with UK FCDO funding, paired GPS- and satellite-equipped "smart bottles" with classroom learning, engaging local students in data collection, STEM skills, and civic action.
TORTOLA — The Centre for Applied Marine Studies (CAMS) at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College marked World Oceans Day on 8 June 2026 by sharing results from a pioneering marine plastic tracking study that CAMS says is believed to be the first of its kind in the Caribbean. Launched in 2025 as the Ocean Technology Pilot Project with funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through the UK Future Fund, the programme pairs marine science and technology with environmental education, CAMS said in a press release reported by Virgin Islands News Online (VINO).
As part of the project, students from the Claudia Creque Educational Centre, Jost Van Dyke Primary School and the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) Robotics Club took part in deploying specially designed tracking devices — dubbed "smart bottles" — into local waters on World Oceans Day 2025.
The devices are equipped with GPS and satellite technology to mimic the movements of discarded single-use plastic as they drift with currents, wind and waves. The tracking data revealed powerful, sometimes unexpected journeys. One smart bottle launched in the Sir Francis Drake Channel by the ESHS Robotics Club logged more than 1,000 kilometres, passing the U.S.
Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola before reaching Crooked Island in the Bahamas. Another device released near Jost Van Dyke became entrapped in circular currents near the Turks and Caicos Islands during Hurricane Erin in August 2025 and later transmitted from inland eastern Cuba — a pattern CAMS researchers say may indicate human interaction before the signal was lost.
A third bottle deployed from Anegada transmitted for ten days and highlighted how floating sargassum mats can trap plastic debris, increasing risks to wildlife and complicating clean-up efforts. "This project brings science to life," CAMS Director Susan Zaluski said, noting the devices "collect real data and tell a story — how far our plastic waste can travel, its impact on marine ecosystems, and why our actions at home matter globally." Alasdair Davies, founder of the UK’s Arribada Initiative which developed the trackers, added: "Each bottle tells a different story; together, they help us understand how plastic moves across oceans and how interconnected our marine environments truly are," VINO reported.
VINO’s coverage also notes that the originators adapted the technology — originally developed to track sea turtles — to monitor marine plastic, demonstrating how conservation tools can be repurposed for broader environmental challenges. CAMS Coastal Resilience Programme Coordinator Nia Jeffers said the project "expanded to be more than just a marine science project," bringing STEM, citizen science and global environmental responsibility into classrooms and helping develop the next generation of engineers and conservationists.
Beyond science and classroom learning, CAMS ran a "Message in a Bottle" civic engagement campaign where students wrote letters to government and community stakeholders about marine pollution; responses were returned to students this year, reinforcing youth participation in policy discussions.
For BVI residents, CAMS officials say the findings underscore that marine pollution is transboundary and can affect beaches, fisheries and tourism long before debris reaches local shores. CAMS plans to continue expanding marine education, support regional collaboration on waste management and build local capacity so the next generation can protect the territory’s ocean resources.
Primary source: Guavaberry