Love the Sea’s “Eat Less Plastic” campaign is composed of ocean enthusiasts currently on a four-month journey through the South Pacific with a final destination of New Zealand.

Magen Schifiliti, a Maui marine biologist and conservation director for Trilogy Excursions, will join the voyage in Tonga and set sail for Fiji.

The group of citizen scientists is collecting microplastic samples in areas of the ocean that have never been tested before.

The team also plans to collect surface water samples, and by the end of their trip they will gather all data recorded and submit it to the Global Estimate of Marine Plastic Pollution database.

“I’m excited to be a part of the ELP voyage and create a natural synergy with what we are doing here locally on Maui through Trilogy’s Blue’Aina campaign” said Schifiliti. “I have been a personal ocean advocate since I was 11 years old, when I decided I wanted to become a marine biologist. Since then I’ve had the privilege to study the ocean and have seen proof of plastics disrupting our fragile ecosystems, as well as its damaging effects on our marine life. Our world has developed a dependence on single-use plastics and it has become apparent that we need to make a change.”

Trilogy Excursions has committed to donate $4,000, which will help Schifiliti be part of this citizen science mission.