We will thereby provide new information on where plastic is expected to reside and accumulate, based on existing knowledge on ocean and ice circulation. Reanalysis data from operational ocean circulation models will be used, and during the project an existing trajectory model for micro- and macro plastic will be extended to describe sinking through biofouling and drift by sea ice. Assumptions on the release locations of marine plastics are essential for the modeling, and this knowledge will be gathered by an extended peer-review council—the Barricade Plastic Council—as part of the project. The same council will also advise the project team on how the numeric experiments are designed, and how the results of marine plastic transport and fate need to be communicated towards the public and relevant stakeholders, e.g. through open available data sets and graphics. Particular emphasis will be given on the question if the Barents Sea and/or the Arctic act as final destinations for marine plastic.

Nordlandsforskning is responsible for WP1, which concerns Stakeholder–researcher dialogue, and includes the establishment of the BARRICADE Plastic Council. In this work package we will create a formal platform in line with the notions of extended peer review and co-production of knowledge. The workshop aim to gather existing knowledge about the issue, identify knowledge gaps and suggest the best format for scientific knowledge to ensure communication with society.