![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1-hawaii-beach-litter.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its \u2018fingerprints.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n In late 2025, scientists reported that, for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on land using NASA\u2019s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor aboard the International Space Station. The technology has inspired marine researchers to see whether it could also help track debris in our waters.<\/p>\n Before future generations of sensors like EMIT can be called upon to detect ocean litter, scientists need to know what to look for. Working with collaborators, NASA intern Ashley Ohall has built a newly published reference library<\/a> containing nearly 25,000 molecular \u201cfingerprints\u201d from all manner of flotsam and jetsam, including rope, tires, metal, bubble wrap, buoys, and bottle caps. Given the overwhelming presence of plastic in marine debris, the library includes some 19 types of polymer.<\/p>\n Most of the estimated 8 million tons<\/a> or more of plastic that enter the ocean every year comes from land, so mapping pollution hot spots near coastlines could be a first step toward reducing what ends up on beaches and washed out to sea. That\u2019s exactly what NASA\u2019s sensor showed it could do<\/a>, though detecting plastic wasn\u2019t its first mission. Launched in 2022, EMIT<\/a> maps minerals across desert regions to help determine how the dust can heat or cool the atmosphere.<\/p>\n But the instrument has proved itself incredibly nimble. From its perch on the space station, it can identify hundreds of compounds on Earth via the unique spectral patterns they make in reflected sunlight. The technology behind EMIT, called imaging spectroscopy, was pioneered at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and is used on missions throughout the solar system. One of EMIT\u2019s cousins discovered lunar water<\/a> in 2009, and another is set to return to the Moon<\/a> to help future astronauts identify scientifically valuable areas to sample.<\/p>\n The same technology has now shown that it can find plastic compounds in landfills and large-scale structures like greenhouses, said JPL\u2019s David Thompson, who coauthored the 2025 study. However, detecting plastic once it enters the ocean is more challenging: Seawater absorbs infrared light, masking many of plastic\u2019s prominent spectral features.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where the work of Ohall and her collaborators comes in. Their open-source library compiles the work of many researchers over the years who\u2019ve analyzed marine debris using handheld instruments in laboratories. Standardizing the various datasets into one searchable repository is crucial because different kinds of debris have slightly different spectra based on material, color, and condition. Weathered water bottles, for example, \u201clook\u201d different than washed-up hurricane detritus. Once the patterns are known, detection algorithms can be developed.<\/p>\n Carried by ocean currents, debris can travel thousands of miles from the source, so a better understanding of where it is and where it\u2019s headed could be a boon for public health and coastal tourism, said Ohall, a Florida native who recently graduated from the University of Georgia.<\/p>\n \u201cMy biggest hope is that people see remote sensing as an important and useful tool for marine debris monitoring,\u201d Ohall said. \u201cJust because it hasn\u2019t been done yet doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Conventional methods for quantifying plastic in the ocean \u2014 including dragging nets through garbage patches \u2014 can\u2019t sample the millions of tons that flow in. With NASA\u2019s support, scientists are learning more about the ability of existing sensors<\/a> as well as what\u2019s still needed<\/a> to spot marine debris. Teams are also training AI tools<\/a> to sift through satellite imagery.<\/p>\n It remains a planet-scale endeavor, said Kelsey Bisson, a program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The groundwork being done by Ohall and other scientists brings us a step closer to leveraging a powerful technology flying in air and space today.<\/p>\n \u201cHumans have a visceral connection to the ocean and its health,\u201d Bisson said. \u201cDetecting marine debris is the kind of incredible challenge that NASA can help solve.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more about EMIT, visit:<\/p>\n https:\/\/earth.jpl.nasa.gov\/emit\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Andrew Wang \/ Andrew Good Written by Sally Younger<\/p>\n 2026-003<\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure>Litter library<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Planet-scale challenge<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Media Contacts<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-379-6874 \/ 818-393-2433
andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\nExplore More<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n