The Jellyfishbot : A Game-Changer for Plastic Pollution Research

For several years, Professor Rachid Amara’s team at the Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale (ULCO) in northern France has been conducting pioneering research on a crucial issue: the detection and identification of floating plastic waste in aquatic environments.

Until recently, researchers relied on traditional methods such as manual surveys or Manta nets towed by boats. But in 2021, a major breakthrough changed the game: the university acquired a Jellyfishbot, a robot developed and refined by the IADYS team. Tailored to meet the researchers’ specific needs, this robot can sample both microplastics and macroplastics in various aquatic environments, even in the most hard-to-reach areas like ports, shallow rivers, estuaries, canals, and waterways.

This groundbreaking innovation offers significant advantages over conventional sampling methods. It has also led to new research findings, resulting in numerous scientific publications, particularly within the PhD projects of Gabriel Pasquier and Rosa Sawan. The Jellyfishbot is now a key asset in the European Interreg TREASURE project (Targeting the Reduction of Plastic Outflow into the North Sea – learn more: https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/treasure.

At IADYS, we are proud to contribute to the fight against plastic pollution by collaborating with ULCO and Professor Amara.
Together, we are working to develop ever more efficient robots to protect our marine ecosystems.