Birds & Debris | Website Design, Development & Hosting

The Environmental Research Institute at North Highland College and the University of Highlands and Islands appointed us to design, build and host a crowdsourcing website to highlight the global impact of plastic pollution.

An estimated 8 million metric tonnes of plastic enters our oceans every year, with over 5 trillion pieces currently floating at sea. The ground-breaking Birds & Debris website encourages people around the world to report information on seabird entanglement and nest incorporation of marine debris.

Project objectives

• To collate entanglement information, with data extracted regularly for academic research

• To develop relationships with SMEs offering solutions in the recycling of commercial fishing gear to reduce the amount of discarded plastic entering the sea

• To raise awareness and highlight the seriousness of plastic pollution

• To encourage researchers and members of the public to get involved and support the issue

Crowdsourcing data for academic research

Visitors to the site are welcomed by a large interactive map, which details the number of reports submitted by users.

When a member of the public finds an instance they wish to report, they are encouraged to upload information, including images, of the bird or nest to the website.

User data will be used by researchers to identify marine littering hotspots around the world.

Project outcomes

• Global-reaching website that highlights the impact of plastic pollution

• Improves public understanding of the issue

• Crowdsourced data aids researcher analysis

• Strengthens relationships with SMEs

“We are thrilled that the Birds & Debris website is now available for the public to contribute to. We were very impressed by Connect’s passion and enthusiasm for the project, as well as their eagerness to provide innovative ideas that can be seen throughout the website’s design.”

Environmental Research Institute, UHI

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