- My name is Siddhartha Hayes.
I'm the manager of Research and Aquaria
here at Hudson River Park's River Project.
- My name is Zoe Kim,
a science educator at Hudson River Park's River Project.
We are here on the south side of Pier 40
and Hudson River Park's Estuarine Sanctuary.
Hudson River Park is a four mile long park
stretching from Chambers Street up to West 59th
on the west side of Manhattan.
- Plastic is a global issue
but it also affects our Hudson River estuary.
One of the main ways plastics get into our waterways
is through combined sewer outfalls.
Plastics when consumed by organisms can cause them harm,
either just because they get filled up on things
that aren't actually nutritious food
or because the plastics have toxins stuck to them
that can, when accumulated hurt the organism.
It actually becomes a health issue
not just for the organisms, but for humans as well
who rely on these organisms for their own food source.
- This is the WasteShark, an exciting new tool
that is a remote operated vehicle
and this ROV can use a remote to drive around the waters
in our park and pick up plastics
that are floating on the surface.
This is one of the ways
that we're using new scientific technology
to combat plastic pollution.
- With data collected from the WasteShark
as well as our shoreline cleanups,
we'll get a better sense of what types of plastic are here
in the Hudson River Estuary,
and then we'll be able to share that data
with schools, partners, communities
so that we can collectively create solutions
to address this plastic issue
that we are all currently facing.
This is the WasteShark's mouth and collection bin.
It can hold upwards of hundred pounds of plastic
at full capacity and it slides out
so that we're able to actually remove everything
and count and categorize it once it's full.
At the top of the WasteShark's mouth
is a video camera that connects to the handheld controller
which means we're able to actually see
exactly what the WasteShark is picking up
when it's deployed in the water.
This remote controller allows us to control the WasteShark
at distances of up to 500 meters using radio waves.
It also connects to satellites to determine its GPS position
which is then relayed from the WasteShark to the cloud.
- The WasteShark is a reactive tool
which means that we're using it in response
to the plastic pollution problem.
There are also lots of proactive solutions we can use
from individual action to policies
that reduce single-use plastics and plastic production.