Sampling protocols, analytical methods and equipment are getting ready for the expedition
Plastics reach the Amazon
Plastic is a recurrent element in our daily lives. Only about 15% of total plastic consumed is recycled, while the rest is often dumped into the environment. The Amazon is not an exception. In some areas, the banks of the Amazon River look like this picture. Plastics are dangerous for large mammals, like freshwater dolphins and manatees, fish and birds. Moreover, they breakdown into smaller particles, the so-called microplastics, that can be ingested by smaller animals such as freshwater invertebrates. The SILENT AMAZON […]
National Geographic Bootcamp
In July 2019, Andreu Rico attended the Story Telling Bootcamp organized by the National Geographic Society. Several workshops were organized on research communication, scientific photography and video, and social media. Also, there was an opportunity to show our research to a crowd of highly influential researchers in the Amazon. But, most importantly, it was a great opportunity to meet amazing people and learn from other projects taking place along the Amazon River.
First project meeting Manaus
Planning a large river monitoring campaign is not an easy task. One may expect that upon the field many things turn wrong. To prevent experimental failures and to plan ahead the field work, in July 2019, Andreu Rico visited Andrea Waichman in Manaus (Brazil). During that visit some preliminary water, plant and fish samples were taken, mainly to test sampling procedures and analytical methods. The results of this trial show that wastewaters dumped into the Amazon River contain a wide range of pharmaceuticals […]