Meet Fred
FRED Answers your FAQs!
What size plastic does FRED pick up?
FRED at full-scale picks up marine plastic from 5mm to 5m long.
What does FRED do when the bins are full of plastic?
FRED’s storage bins are offloaded, emptied, and processed for recycling.
What will Clear Blue Sea do with the collected plastic?
Clear Blue Sea will provide collected plastic to scientists for research and to recycling centers for re-use.
How does FRED ensure that sea life stays safe?
Clear Blue Sea implements Acoustic Pingers to warn marine mammals that FRED is in proximity.
How does FRED survive bad storms?
FRED battens down during storms and stops cleanup operations to remain safe.
How is Clear Blue Sea funded?
Clear Blue Sea is staffed with interns and volunteer professionals and funded with small donations
How can I help?
Join Clear Blue Sea as an Intern, Mentor, Advocate, or Donor – we are welcoming to all!
Still have a question? Want to learn more about how you can help? Click on the button to contact us!
FRED Robot
What Makes FRED Unique?
FRED is a solar-powered, semi-autonomous marine robot capable of collecting marine plastic pollution without the need for fossil fuels or a human crew. FRED can be customized and scaled for lakes, rivers, bays, coasts, and open oceans.
Other Cleanup Innovations: The Seabin
Invented by some Australian surfers, the Seabin is like a floating trash can that is effective in harbors and bays to collect floating debris. It’s rim lies just beneath the surface of the water so nearby floating junk is pulled right in! It uses a pump to constantly act like a sinkhole and allow water flow to continue. Humans nearby need to check and empty it often.
Other Cleanup Innovations: Trash Hunter
The Trash Hunter is an example of a debris skimmer, manned technology currently used in lakes and bays to remove debris or weeds cluttering the water. They typically use a belt conveyor, mechanized grabbers, and water jets to direct debris to storage.
What else is being done about ocean plastic pollution?
Many types of organizations are raising awareness of the scope and impact of ocean plastic pollution. In the last five years, awareness has increased but not reached the critical mass needed to invest in significant solutions. We believe this is so critical to solving the problem of ocean plastic pollution and should be done in parallel with developing technologies for prevention and cleanup. Help us raise awareness by following Clear Blue Sea on social media.
GOVERNANCE
The United Nations Environmental Program has published an extensive study on Ocean Plastics and suggested strategies for ocean cleanup.
CONSERVATIONISTS
The University of California Natural Reserve System provides environmental stewardship through teaching, research, and conservation at protected state natural areas.
SCIENCE
Dr. Jambeck at the University of Georgia is a leading scientist studying ocean plastic. Her research estimated 8M metrics of plastic enter the oceans every year.
