USJ Leads Successful Coastal Cleanup Engaging Community Volunteers and Innovative Technology “SWEEP Macao”
USJ Leads Successful Coastal Cleanup Engaging Community Volunteers and Innovative Technology "SWEEP Macao"
29
Jul
29/07/2024
USJ organised a successful coastal clean-up, collecting 70kg of marine debris and using the recently developed SWEEP Macao app, developed by the ISE/USJ team, to identify and quantify the debris collected.
The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) hosted a successful coastal cleanup event last Saturday, July 27, as part of its Summer 2024 environmental initiatives. Engaging a diverse group of volunteers from USJ students and staff, the USJ Green Committee, Sands Eco Ambassadors, Macau Green Future, and other community members, the cleanup took place along the coastline near Tam Kong Temple in Coloane.
Participants diligently dedicated themselves to combing the shores, resulting in the impressive collection of around 70 kgs of litter in just one hour. Plastics, glass, paper, and various debris were gathered, highlighting the urgent need for environmental action in Macao.
Funded by the Macao Foundation, the team of USJ’s Institute of Science and Environment (ISE) developed the SWEEP Macao application, an innovative application that utilises image recognition technology to automatically identify and quantify different types of marine litter.
Currently in beta testing, the application was used during the cleanup to gather feedback from the users and participants, as well as collect more images for training the AI to further enhance the performance and accuracy of the application. Volunteers equipped with the app were able to photograph litter items, which were then instantly categorised and quantified by the application’s algorithms.
Moving forward, ISE/USJ plans to refine the SWEEP Macao app further based on the cleanup event’s feedback, and looks forward to future deployments to enhance marine litter management in Macao and neighbouring regions.
This significant initiative was carried out within the framework of two key projects at ISE/USJ:
1) From Shore to Society: Enhancing Social Awareness and Engagement towards Coastal Waste Management in Macao – SWEEP Macao which aims to examine the current state of social awareness and engagement towards coastal waste in Macao and propose strategies for enhancement and;
2) One Drop at a Time: Exploring Biodiversity in Macao’s Urban Wetland Ecosystems and the Role of Water Stewardship, which aims to assess the unique and undocumented biodiversity found within Macao’s urban wetland habitats.
Additionally, this cleanup is part of an effort by the USJ Green Committee to promote clean and green practices to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As Macao continues to strive for a cleaner and more sustainable environment, initiatives like this coastal cleanup are critical in fostering a culture of environmental stewardship and responsibility among its residents.
