SSPIRIT

SSPIRIT is a Flemish research project which aims to detect plastic litter on river banks, in rivers, estuaries, coastal areas, and seas with innovative remote sensing technologies and data science.

Mapping Plastic Pollution From Seabed to Space

Although it does not belong in our natural environment, plastic is everywhere. This material is very diverse in shape, size, colour, and densities. It accumulates in different compartments of our rivers and seas ranging from the intertidal zone, the water surface, the water column to the seabed. Moreover, it's very labour-intensive to manually spot and sample plastic pollution in our water. That's where the combination of multiple remote sensing technologies – like aerial, underwater, and satellite images – comes in as an efficient, innovative detection solution to keep our environment healthy.

That’s why the SSPIRIT project was set up. SSPIRIT stands for 'From Seabed to SPace: Identifying and quantifying plastic litteR with Innovative remote sensing Technologies'. The overall goal of this project is to develop and test a comprehensive, cost-efficient portfolio of systems to map plastic pollution in all compartments of the water column, from the surface to the seabed.

Plastic Pollution Water Fish SSPIRIT Project

A Flemish Collaboration With International Ambitions

SSPIRIT is a Flemish, three-year cluster Strategic Basic Research (cSBO) project that runs from June 2025 until May 2028. It’s a collaboration between VITO Remote Sensing, VLIZ, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Ghent University, Flanders Space, and Blue Cluster. The funding comes from VLAIO, the Flemish Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Although this research focuses on the Belgian part of the North Sea and the Scheldt estuary, the ambitions reach further. The knowledge and technology developed within SSPIRIT can later also be applied internationally, from European estuaries and coastal waters to global satellite observations. In this way, Flanders strengthens its position as an innovative test region for marine environmental policy and sustainable technology.

State-of-the Art Remote Sensing Technology

To identify and quantify plastic litter (micro-, meso- and macroplastics) across multiple water compartments, SSPIRIT uses state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies and advanced (AI) data processing and modelling. By bridging disciplines, the project seeks to provide a clearer understanding of the pathways of plastic pollution.

SSPIRIT's objectives:

Improve the science case for a dedicated satellite mission
Evaluate feasibility of remote optical detection of plastic pellets
Improve the recognition potential for macro-litter using cameras (GoPro) and acoustic (Blueview and multibeam) methods
Improve the assessment of potential microplastic hotspots using remote sensing techniques
Improve the performance of a depth-averaged (Eulerian) particle transport model to predict turbidity (i.e., the cloudiness or haziness of the water) and associated microplastic concentrations
Improve the performance of a depth-averaged (Eulerian) particle transport model to predict pellet loss dispersal

SSPIRIT illustratie panorama — *Illustration of the remote sensing technologies used in the SSPIRIT project to detect plastic pollution across the different water compartments*

SSPIRIT’s Six Technology Cases

In the SSPIRIT project, researchers will develop six technology cases and an innovation accelerator plan.

Technology Case 1: Optical VNIR-SWIR (Visible Near Infrared and Short-Wave Infrared Spectroscopy) satellite mission (satellite monitoring of plastics)
Technology Case 2: Ecogeomorphology from drones as proxy for stranded pellets (indirect detection of stranded pellets)
Technology Case 3: Optical VNIR-SWIR camera and smartphone technology (direct detection of stranded pellets)
Technology Case 4: Camera and acoustic detection of litter in the water column
Technology Case 5: Multibeam detection of litter on the seabed
Technology Case 6: Suspended particulate matter (SPM) (i.e., tiny solid or liquid particles that are suspended in the air or water) or turbidity as a proxy

SSPIRIT will also establish an Innovation Accelerator, a structure that helps Advisory Board members and industry use the developed tools and knowledge in practice. Throughout the project, we will discuss, further refine, or newly develop valorisation trajectories. Our team will initiate at least five valorisation trajectories and follow-up initiatives to ensure continuity after the project will have ended.

Project partners: