Although it may look like a toy, the found box is a marine research device used by AZTI. This device and 17 others were launched by the center as part of the Ulysses project, aiming to study the drift of marine litter.
Half of the launched devices are equipped with GPS for real-time tracking. The other half are sensor-less, and their destination is known thanks to the help of the people who find them.
Two of the found devices, the sensor-less Wooden W016 and the sensor-equipped Traveller T011, were launched simultaneously and discovered on Saturraran beach within minutes of each other. This will allow researchers to compare the two devices and better understand the influence of regional currents.
Citizen science is crucial to this project. Children have decorated the devices to raise awareness and interest, and those who find them are asked to report where and when they were located.
Following this initial launch, AZTI plans to deploy over 1,000 devices in the Bay of Biscay.
