Erasmus Maris 2026: Monitoring microplastic pollution in coastal waters: From sampling and analysis to data

Résumé

This blended training course, aims to build the capacity of upper secondary schools and non formal education facilitators to participate in harmonised microplastic monitoring in coastal waters through the Erasmus Maris initiative. 

The course combines online theoretical learning with practical field, laboratory, and data-management training. Participants will learn the full monitoring chain: understanding microplastic pollution in aquatic environments, collecting surface-water samples using a manta net, processing and analysing samples in the laboratory following standard operating procedures, applying quality assurance and quality control principles, managing data and metadata, and uploading data to the MARIS database.

The course is designed to empower both students and teachers to implement microplastic monitoring activities and to contribute to a wider citizen-science and environmental monitoring network. The training includes online lessons and quizzes, practical laboratory work with reference material, boat-based sampling demonstrations, and hands-on use of the MARIS data portal.

 Collaboration and teamwork are central, and the training concludes with a certificate ceremony recognizing participants' achievements.

Who is it for?

The course is designed for approximately 60 upper secondary students and 14 science teachers from participating European Schools. The teachers will follow the trainer pathway, enabling them to implement Erasmus Maris activities with their students after the course. Two facilitators from Wings of the Ocean will also follow the trainer pathway to support future implementation in France.

Venue

Online theoretical component

Participants will complete online lessons and quizzes covering the following topics:

1. Definition of microplastics and distinction between primary and secondary microplastics.
2. Microplastics in aquatic environments, including transport, distribution, density, and accumulation.
3. Pathways through which microplastics enter aquatic environments, including littering, wastewater discharge, runoff, fishing, shipping, and tourism.
4. Sampling and analysis methods for microplastic assessment, including water-surface sampling, benthic sampling, and sampling in organisms.
5. Standard operating procedures for microplastic analysis, including sample preparation, digestion, separation, filtration, counting, and Nile Red staining.
6. Challenges of integrating data from multiple sources.
7. Data management approaches, including Back-End Consolidation and Front-End Responsibility.
8. Unique identifiers and data structure in the MARIS. monitoring system.
9. Integration of MARIS data into wider marine data systems, including EMODnet.

Participants will be encouraged to begin the online lessons and quizzes before the onsite course and will be given time to complete them during the training week.

Practical component

Activities include:

• Welcome at the Escla de la Mar of Burriana.
• Distribution of participants into five groups.
• Delivery and explanation of the sampling protocols.
• Boat-based manta-net sampling demonstration and practice, supported by boat operators.
• Recording of sampling metadata and environmental conditions.
• Introduction to the UNESCO/OTGA online microplastics course and quizzes.
• Group rotation between sampling and online/computer-based activities.
• Final debriefing and  certification and post-course monitoring.

Learning will be assessed through a combination of online, practical, and data-management activities.

Assessment components include:

• completion of the online lessons and quizzes;
• attendance and active participation in the practical training sessions;
• demonstrated understanding of the manta-net sampling protocol;
• Understanding of field metadata and environmental parameters;
• practical laboratory performance following the microplastic analysis SOP;
• demonstrate that they can upload entry of data and metadata into the MARIS database;
• completion of the required course feedback form

Duration

The estimated total workload is 32 hours.

 This includes:

Approximately 20 hours of synchronous practical training distributed across 14–18 September 2026;

approximately 12 hours of online/asynchronous learning, including lessons and quizzes.

The practical training includes laboratory analysis, field sampling, introduction to the MARIS database, and supervised data-entry activities. The online component includes theoretical lessons and quizzes

Certificate

Language of Instruction

Spanish.

The online lessons and quizzes are currently in English. If translation is completed before the course, the online materials may also be made available in Spanish.

Instructors

• Kamel Labibes: Chair- Ayam Sailing Europe,ASE)
• Carlos Sanz Lázaro: Professor, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante; Ramón Margalef Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies (IMEM), University of Alicante