Following Seas Marine Impact Research

Marine Impact Research

Protecting Our Water for Tomorrow

Following Seas is a private foundation that conducts research focused on understanding how humans impact the quality of our inland, coastal, and offshore waterways--and in turn understanding how the quality of our water impacts us as humans. Currently, we are examining microplastics and the microbes that attach to them in the waters of Charleston, SC, with the goal of better understanding the full scope of the global microplastic problem.

The Problem

Plastic products and waste shed harmful microplastics into the marine environment.

The Impact

Microplastics in the environment are consumed by microbes, wildlife, and ultimately humans.

The Solution

Addressing the microplastics problem starts with researching and documenting its scope.

On-the-Water Research

We gather data on microplastics and microbes on the water. These data are critical for understanding the scope of the marine microplastics problem and advocating for change.

Data to Drive Advocacy

We collect, analyze, and publish the data needed to drive advocacy focused on addressing the marine microplastics problem locally, nationally, and globally.

Standardizing Citizen Science

We are using our research practices and data to develop standards for citizen science. Standardization will improve the quality and usefulness of data collected worldwide.

Education and Community Engagement

We publish educational resources and provide educational opportunities to schools and home school groups. We offer community engagement and volunteer opportunties as well.

Latest Updates

July 2026: We are well underway with the initial work on our 2026 Summer Pilot Study. We have ordered the equipment we need, we have built our first microplastics trawl based on a scientifically published design, and we are prototyping our own trawl design that we intend to compare to the published design--and hopefully use going forward. We intend to collect our first samples before the end of the month. We are also making arrangements to have a table at The Hope Summit sponsored by the Carolina Ocean Alliance this October.

This month we also received our tax exemption determination from the IRS. Following Seas Marine Impact Research Inc. is now a registered private operating foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Follow along to receive updates on our work:

News

The Following Seas Basking Trawl: Our Plastic-Free Microplastics Trawl

We have completed the prototype for our plastic-free microplastics trawl. We have named it after the basking shark, which uses its large round mouth to filter feed--just as our round...

EPA Labels Microplastics as a “Priority Contaminant Group” But Significant Challenges Remain

While several federal laws allow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take steps to address microplastics in the marine environment, the EPA has not prioritized microplastics research in recent...

A Conundrum: The Necessity of Using Plastics to Study Marine Microplastics Pollution

Studying marine microplastics pollution presents a conundrum: It necessarily involves the use of plastics. While we cannot avoid using plastics entirely, we can take steps to mitigate our contributions to...

Why Do We Need to Study Microplastics?

The first plastics were invented in the mid-1800s, and they have been polluting our waters since that time. Yet, the term “microplastics” wasn’t introduced until 2004, and the first scientific...

Plastics and Microplastics Are (Almost) Everywhere

Microplastics are a global problem. They are found throughout the world’s offshore and inland waters, from lakes and rivers to beaches and the middle of the ocean. While microplastics are...

Getting to Work: Building Our First Microplastics Trawl

Work has officially begun on our Summer 2026 Pilot Study. We are building the first trawl that we will use to collect marine microplastics samples in the Charleston, SC area's inland...

Answers to FAQs

We are a nonprofit private foundation devoted to researching the scope and impact of the global marine microplastics problem. We conduct on on-the-water data collection and analysis, and we share our research with other organizations that can use them to effect change. We are also available to assist other organizations with conducting other types of on-the-water data collection.

We are located in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States. We are currently focused on collecting data on South Carolina's inland, coastal, and offshore waterways.

We are currently collecting and analyzing data in order to assess the scope and impact of the global marine microplastics problem. We do this using tools designed specifically for collecting microplastics from the water. We are also working to develop standards for citizen-scientists who are interested in collecting data as well.

Our short-term goal is to gather the data we need to conduct statistically significant analyses, and then publish our research in scientific journals in addition to sharing it with advocacy organizations through other means. Our long-term goal is to have a meaningful impact on reducing the amount of microplastics in Earth's inland and ocean waters.

You can support our organization by buying our plastic-free products or making a donation through our website. If your company is interested in sponsoring our organization, we offer sponsorship packages as well, and we invite you to contact us for more information.