The Great Global Nurdle Hunt

The Great Global Nurdle Hunt is Fidra’s annual citizen science event inviting organisations, community groups and individuals to take part in nurdle hunts around the world. Together, participants raise awareness of plastic pellet pollution while helping to build a global snapshot of where nurdles are found. The 2025 Great Global nurdle hunt took place across the world between the 1st - 31st October 2025. ​

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The crucial data gathered helps highlight the scale of the problem to decision makers worldwide and strengthens calls for action to tackle this significant source of global microplastic pollution.

We are excited to announce the launch of The Great Global Nurdle 2025 report!

Key findings from October's 2025 Great Global Nurdle Hunt:

• Over 1,500 volunteers across 25 countries took part in 297 nurdle hunts.
• Volunteers found nurdles in 92% of participating countries including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia and the Philippines for the first time. 
• In October 2025 88% of hunts in coastal and marine protected areas found nurdles.

From 2013 to 2025, nurdle hunt data collected around the world has found:

• 90% of nurdle hunts done in biodiversity hotspots around the world found nurdles.
• Nurdles have been found in 23 out of 36 internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots around the world and have been identified in protected areas in Mexico, India, the UK, and Galapagos.

Download our new app designed to make nurdle hunting easier than ever! Log your sightings quickly even without an internet connection and use the built-in counter to effortlessly track your finds. Download from app stores now!

For more information, make sure to check out our YouTube channel, with resources and information including:

• The Social Media Masterclass - aimed at supporting NGO's improve their social media campaigns.
• Making an impact - The story of where the Great Nurdle Hunt began, why it matters, why you should take part and how! 
• The Great Nurdle Hunt ​2013-2023: ​Results Webinar - What does 10 years of nurdle hunt data show use and what were the results of The Great Global Nurdle Hunt 2023.
• How to use the Great Global Nurdle Hunt Data to communicate the pellet pollution crisis.
• The Great Global Nurdle Hunt 2025 results - plastic pellets in protected areas

Thank you to the amazing organisations who participate in the hunt, and to everyone who searched and raised awareness about this issue. Your efforts are critical in making this microplastic pollution problem more visible, helping to increase pressure on government and industry to step up and end nurdle loss.

Our growing nurdle network allows organisations to share knowledge and expertise on solutions, bringing us all closer to stopping global nurdle pollution for good. If you would like to learn more about nurdle pollution and solutions visit our Nurdle Information Hub for NGOs and community groups.