A round-the-world scientific expedition will use drones to study plastic pollution

Scientists circumnavigating the globe on a spartan racing catamaran will spend the coming year deploying drones to collect better data on plastic pollution

Race for the Water, a Swiss marine research expedition focused on plastic pollution, last week announced its plan to collect and analyze samples of plastic found on the world's most remote island beaches. Over a trip of 40,000 nautical miles, the crew will use drones to conduct its work. Those drones will fly over beaches to collect information on how much microplastics have collected there.

Related: Landscapes we don't want to lose: tell your story of living with climate change

Related: Ocean plastic is likely disappearing into the food chain, new study indicates

Related: 'The world is finally producing renewable energy at an industrial scale'