Networked, often expendable, devices have revolutionized how we access ocean data for applications across research and marine sectors. These instruments are often made of non-degradable plastic components, and at the end of life, they become marine debris. An interdisciplinary team of microbiologists, materials scientists, engineers, and oceanographers from three academic institutions together with industry partners, are working together to develop ‘self-destructing’ ocean instruments made from engineering biomaterials that will rapidly degrade in oceanic conditions once data collection is complete. Novel materials such as these will help achieve a more sustainable era of ocean research.

Read full article “Making Better Bioplastics for Marine Use”