LSE x Sail Britain
Increasing awareness and understanding of the integral role the social sciences hold in improving management and decision making for our global seas and coastline.1 Skipper, 7 social scientists and an innovative research experience at sea.
On World Ocean’s Day 2019 we embarked on an expedition along the Western Coast of Scotland. Bringing together the social sciences and sailing, we turned our boat into a floating think tank, a lab and a presentation space for the ocean.
To increase the impact of our ocean literacy program we selected half of our crew to be individuals for whom the sea is an inaccessible place and who had never been on a sailboat before.
Bridging the social and natural sciences through sailing.
Our interdisciplinary crew comprising 7 students from 6 different social science disciplines - Economic History, Social Anthropology, Environment and Development, International History, PPE, Geography - complemented its oceanographic work with a social science perspective on marine issues. Discussing topics ranging from marine anthropology and geopolitics of the Arctic ocean, to underwater cultural heritage and the role of maritime navigation in climate reconstruction, each crew member contributed their individual subject expertise to discussions, presentations and debates onboard.
Our expedition vessel: “Alcuin” (Westerly 38)
Marine Plastics in Western Scotland
Collecting Evidence
Our crew collected and catalogued plastic samples at sea (using a 58 micron net) and on land during our anchorages in the Scottish lochs, tracing back the origin of most pollution to local fishing.
Under the Microscope
To the naked eye the waters around us seemed pristine and free of pollution. Microscopic analysis showed evidence of micro plastic fibres in every water sample we collected during our expedition.
