College of Charleston geology professor Barbara Beckingham led more than 50 attendees through the waters of Charleston Harbor to search for plastic debris for the South Carolina Aquarium 2017 Plastic Pollution Summit.

Beckingham and Barent Roth of The New School in New York City took guests on a scenic cruise through the harbor to Morris Island, an uninhabited island accessible only by boat, to sample the water for microplastics and celebrate the citizen science data app Anecdata.

The Wednesday afternoon cruise was part of the lead-up to the pollution summit, which brings together leading experts, community practitioners and other stakeholders from across the nation to find solutions to plastic pollution.

The College is among the 50 sponsors for the summit, which begins in earnest at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 30, at the Charleston Gaillard Center. CofC students who wish to attend can go for free through partnerships between the College and the South Carolina Aquarium.

Click here to learn more about the summit.