This page is about our marine litter research programme. For information about Greener Orkney’s directly delivered beach cleans, click here. For information about how we support other community beach cleans in Orkney, click here.
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About Greener Orkney’s marine litter research
Current projects
This year, Greener Orkney has been successful in obtaining a grant from the Protected Areas Foundation to undertake research surveys of marine litter in Scapa Flow. The project will see four monitoring sites set up around Scapa Flow, with quarterly surveys over 12 months. In total, 16 surveys will be carried out, producing robust seasonal data on the sources, types and patterns of marine litter affecting this nationally important site.
This work is being led by Greener Orkney in collaboration with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and the Scottish Islands Federation’s Marine Litter Working Group (SIF‑MLWG), with input from statutory and community partners. MCS provides the internationally recognised OSPAR beach‑litter methods and quality assurance, whilst SIF‑MLWG will help ensure the work contributes to a wider Island Surveyor Network and national evidence base on island marine litter.
Overall the results are expected to help inform litter policy and better understand the sources of the beach litter that washes up on Orkney’s shores.
Earlier projects
In October 2024, Greener Orkney was awarded a grant by Marine Fund Scotland which covered two paid roles over the winter months, facilitating the coordination of a project to study marine litter on four northern Orkney Isles (Westray, North Ronaldsay, Sanday and Stronsay). We worked with local groups from the four islands to carry out coastal cleans of areas where marine litter gathers, to remove the litter and to carry out some analysis of the litter gathered. In addition to the support from Marine Fund Scotland, Greener Orkney received a donation from West of Orkney Windfarm towards the cost of a drone which allowed many not easily accessible areas to be viewed. The project was completed in March 2025.
Our findings
2024-2025 Northern Isles project
The key findings of our 2024-2025 marine litter research project in Orkney’s northern isles were:
- 99.5% the marine litter found was plastic
- Fishing sources contributed 53% of the litter items by number
- Fishing sources accounted for 89% of the litter finds by mass
- Net and fishing rope constituted 47% of the fishing material (by number)
- Creel ropes and entanglements dominate the net and rope composition by
mass
Our full project completion report and an accompanying presentation can be found by clicking below.
2026-2027 Scapa Flow project
The key findings of our 2026-2027 marine litter research project around Scapa Flow will be detailed here after the project has reported.
Find out more about our marine litter research
We’ll be keeping our Facebook page up to date when we have news about our programme of marine litter research for 2026.
Volunteer for marine litter research
We’ll be looking for volunteers to help us carry out our marine litter research programme in 2026. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for details or email us at beachcleans@greenerorkney.org.uk if you’re interested in taking part.