Sailors “In Mocean” Against Plastic Pollution By Heather Francis We started our sailing adventures in 2008. Back then, we would find the odd plastic water bottle or two tangled in the seaweed at the high tide mark of beaches near populated areas. Just over a decade later, plastic rubbish is ubiquitous on every beach we come across. Not to mention found floating in the tide, even when sailing far offshore. To deny that plastic pollution is clogging our oceans and causing harm to both animals and humans is simply turning a blind eye. Something that no one can afford to do anymore. Ocean plastic pollution is a huge problem, one that can often feel overwhelming. Knowing where to start and what action to take toward solving the problem can be difficult. Most of us try to decrease our consumption of single-use plastics, and many sailors regularly clean beaches and rescue floating plastic debris from the water while out in the dinghy or snorkelling. Although these are meaningful activities, they often feel like just a drop in the ocean. Many of us are
left asking, what more can I do to help? Nike Steiger and Maria LaPointe are two sailors who have answered that question with a rallying cry. One that can now be heard across the globe. They founded In Mocean, a not-for-profit organization that is focused on raising global awareness about plastic pollution and is dedicated to empowering the rural coastal communities who are impacted by it most. The idea started out small. Nike, on board her Reinke Super 10, Karl, and Maria, who owns Joana, a 72-foot gaff rigged yawl, were collecting trash from the waterways and coastlines as they sailed the Pacific coast of Central America. They started working with local communities, organizing beach clean ups, and educating children about the hazards of plastic pollution via crafting. Collected plastic bottles were transformed into whales, jellyfish, and octopus by the kids while they learned about the hazards of those same plastic items had on the creatures and the seas where they lived. SisterShip 6
