More than 400 Wanda Surf Life Saving Club Nippers descended on their home beach to practise surf lifesaving and water safety skills on Sunday morning — before collecting plastics for nuclear scientists.
The stampede of under-6 and under-7 Nippers was supporting the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Plastics Project, a Sutherland Shire citizen science program launched on Australia Day.
The keen youngsters were asked to collect plastic litter from the beach to contribute to the project, which is helping nuclear scientists understand the impacts of plastic litter on beaches and waterways.
Families and community groups so far have logged almost 1000 plastic pieces on the project’s website from areas including Kurnell, South Cronulla, North Cronulla and Elouera.
ANSTO scientist, professor Richard Banati, said the collection would allow his team to continue their research.
‘‘Plastics are a great invention,’’ he said.
‘‘They are ubiquitous in our lives and they are likely to have an even more important place in our future world.
‘‘At the moment we do not fully understand the route taken by the huge amount of waste products from plastics, especially when plastic litter has degraded enough to be no longer visible.
‘‘This research is designed to give a clearer picture of how plastics move through the ecosystem and food chain at the atomic level and the impact this transfer has on the environment.’’
