Xiamen begins intelligent ocean trash control

Xiamen in Fujian province has established an intelligent platform for ocean trash control, as it strives to promote the construction of beautiful bays to meet people's increasing demand for an attractive environment.

The platform, developed with help from the Ministry of Natural Resources Third Institute of Oceanography and Xiamen University, was put to use in 2022, according to Xiamen's department of ecology and environment.

With an algorithm for ocean garbage forecasts, which takes multiple factors such as weather conditions and water dynamics into consideration, the platform can not only monitor marine litter but also forecast their whereabouts and provide early warning on a daily basis.

Xiamen boasts 333 square kilometers of sea area and 226 KM of coastal lines. To control marine litter, the city established an ocean sanitation station in 1994.

Dedicated to the removal of marine waste, the station now has three docks, eight mechanical sanitation vessels, 51 sanitation boats and more than 160 staff members.

The mechanical sanitation vessels can achieve automated and rapid cleaning. It can play a special role especially after extreme weather events such as typhoons and torrential rains, which may bring a large amount of waste into the sea, said Zhang Lianghua, head of the station.

The intelligent platform can help the station locate marine litter in a highly precise manner.