The International Marine Litter Research Unit, led by Professor Richard Thompson (who first used the word 'microplastics' in 2004), publishes on everything from plastic in human livers (April 2026) to subsea pipelines as a microplastic source (August 2026). The university's online donation site lets you choose a 'Marine Research' fund.
Honest caveat: the fund is general marine research, not litter-specific; email the development office if you want the gift restricted. The University of Plymouth is a UK exempt charity and the form supports Gift Aid.
How to start: donate.plymouth.ac.uk/ unit page plymouth.ac.uk/research/marine-litter