About us, and Copepod Research Vessel
Copepod is the research vessel for the Goes Foundation, the purpose of Copepod is to collect samples of marine plankton, including copepods. for priority chemical analysis;
- organic tin
- organic mercury
There are many organisations sampling and testing for marine micro-plastics, which is very important. However, plastic is hydrophobic and will adsorb many of the priority chemicals. Zooplankton then ingest the micro-plastics and priority chemicals and receive a dose of the chemicals millions of times more concentrated than in the water. The priority chemicals impact on the growth and productivity of the plankton, we consider that this may be the primary mechanism for climate change as opposed to the burning of fossil fuels. Zooplankton are subsequently eaten by fish, marine mammals and birds. Reproduction success is for all marine mammals is dropping, killer whales cannot reproduce in Northern Europe, and other cetaceans such as Sperm Whales are beaching themselves. The consequences and effects of priority chemicals has been almost completely ignored, yet it will result in a cascade failure of the entire marine ecosystems in next 25 to 40 years unless we take action now. Failure to take action will result in a loss of most of our marine mammals and birds as well as teleost fish and a food supply for 2 billion people.
Copepods are marine zooplankton that are used as indicator species to determine the health and status of the marine ecosystem. At Goes Foundation we are taking it one stage further by chemical analysis of the organisms for priority chemicals, the information will be used to raise awareness and hopefully effect change. Goes Foundation is liked to Clean Water Wave, a social enterprise company centred on delivering clean drinking water for rural and peri-urban communities in the developing world, the focus is also on the elimination pollution. Dryden Aqua is also in the loop, and has now developed the technology to treat Textile Waste Water in Bangladesh. The new technology can eliminate all pollution from the industry. Given that Textile Waste Water is one of the most polluting industrial wastes and represents 10% of the world's water pollution (only second to petrol chemicals and fossil fuels) it is probably the most important water treatment advances in the last 50 years.