Southern Miss marine science professor Dr. Kristina Mojica and Ph.D. student Rachel Lancaster participated in the largest marine debris removal effort in Southeast Alaska earlier this summer. Their work supported the NOAA-funded Ocean Plastics Recovery Project, which removed an estimated 3,600 pounds of marine debris per day from the region’s shorelines aboard the R/V Steadfast.
Mojica and Lancaster were invited to join the Alaska Marine Debris Expedition as part of their research on marine plastics. Their participation underscored the far-reaching impact of plastic pollution on the environment. Field samples collected during the expedition—from both the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean and sediments from uninhabited island beaches—will contribute to what is expected to be the first global snapshot of nano-plastic contamination in the ocean.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to visit and sample some of the most remote parts of Alaska that few people ever get to see,” said Mojica. “But it was also sobering and deeply heartbreaking to witness firsthand how extensive the impacts of plastic pollution truly are—and that’s just what we can see.”
“It was an extraordinary event, complemented by even more extraordinary people on the cruise with us,” said Lancaster. “I witnessed both the vice and virtue of people’s actions regarding plastic pollution. There was an insurmountable amount of waste, but there was a group of people who were happy to have made a day out of cleaning up as much as we could. This experience should be shared by as many people as possible if we want to make a lasting improvement in both the environment and our communities.”
Mojica’s participation marked the beginning of a broader global initiative to document and better understand nano- and microplastic (MNP) pollution in aquatic environments. Through the NSF-funded ASPIRE project (Advancing Social and Environmental Equity through Plastic Research: Education, Innovation and Inclusion), her lab has developed a high-throughput method for detecting and quantifying nano-plastics in seawater. This cutting-edge approach addresses key limitations of existing techniques and represents a major advancement in the ability to monitor plastic pollution and assess ecological risks.
In addition to its scientific goals, the expedition will contribute to education and outreach efforts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Images and recovered debris from Alaska will be featured in an art exhibit set to open at the Mississippi Aquarium in 2026. The exhibition, a collaboration between Mojica’s team and the Aquarium’s education staff, aims to raise awareness of micro- and nano-plastic pollution through immersive, community-driven art installations.
“When you consider that plastic is constantly breaking down into smaller particles, the magnitude of what we don’t see, what’s invisible to the naked eye, is almost inconceivable,” Mojica said.
A centerpiece of the exhibit will showcase plastic waste collected from Mississippi beaches, arranged to resemble native Gulf marine life. To date, more than 3,000 pounds of local debris have been removed from seven coastal sites and are being transformed into artwork by local artists and high school art clubs from Ocean Springs, Long Beach and Gulfport, Miss. A highlight of the exhibit will be a mural showing how large plastic debris breaks down into thousands of microscopic particles—visually emphasizing the environmental dangers of nano-plastic pollution.
Visitors to the exhibit will be invited to complete surveys measuring how the experience affects their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to plastic pollution.
To get involved in local plastic collection efforts or participate as an artist in the exhibit, contact Dr. Kristina Mojica or Rachel Lancaster.
The upcoming exhibit is just one facet of Mojica’s deep commitment to science education and public engagement. Together, these efforts reflect her mission to link rigorous scientific research with community empowerment, inspiring new generations to engage in the pressing environmental challenges of our time.