Underwater in Salem Sound Lecture Series- MantaRay:

Join us for our second presentation in our Underwater in Salem Sound Lecture Series: "MantaRay - Advancing Research on Marine Debris" With what is estimated to be over 250 metric tons of microplastics in the ocean, there is no efficient, cost effective way to research this. The most common method is hiring a research vessel to tow a net to collect these particles, which is very costly. As Northeastern University student, Ethan Edson created a way to streamline this process, saving time and manpower. He developed the “MantaRay,” a sensor to gather and categorize microplastics in the ocean. In his presentation, Ethan will discuss the effects of plastic pollution on our marine ecosystem and current methods used to quantify and measure these effects. He will share his story of how he developed the MantaRay to collect crucial data needed to better understand this problem. Ethan Edson received a B.S. in Marine and Environmental Science in 2015 from Northeastern University. He developed the idea for the “MantaRay” while participating the SEA Semester Program in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He then created the prototype for this microplastic sensor for his Senior Capstone project in 2015. Ethan is now working to commercialize the “MantaRay” sensor and use it to help collect data on the concentrations of microplastics around the world. Ethan currently works as a research technician for Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center. Sponsored by Salem Sound Coastwatch and the Abbot Public Library. Free and open to the public.