Digital Tools for Marine Litter Management.

Aligned with the goals of the Salvamare Law, the Sea Waste Research project, carried out by the University of Sassari, aims to develop a participatory approach involving fishermen, research institutions, public administrations, and citizens. They will be supported by digital tools and engaged in monitoring activities.

Among the project’s needs is the creation of digital tools to report, analyze, and centralize the management of marine waste. One of the project’s actions includes developing a management protocol among stakeholders of the Marine Protected Area.

The design of these digital tools involved our team in analyzing the needs and processes of the involved parties through meetings and roundtable discussions with fishermen. The second phase focused on the technical feasibility analysis of the proposed tools and their development. The development team has created an App and a physical prototype that, taking into account the specific work requirements and physical conditions in which fishermen operate, work together to track and report waste by cataloging the waste’s status and material type. The outcome of this effort includes: the Sea Waste Finder app, currently in a beta version for iOS and Android; a hardware prototype based on a satellite device designed to assist fishermen without hindering their activities; software that connects the two tools ( app and device) provided to fishermen for waste reporting, along with an administration panel reserved for researchers to analyze routes, waste types, and material status. Additionally, the project team and manager have overseen the project’s visual identity, including naming, logo design, and website creation.

Another important objective of the Sea Waste Research project is to raise environmental awareness among fishermen and local residents. Consultation sessions will be organized to present and discuss interim and final results, culminating in a concluding congress.