Tyne nurdle spill: a year of research into the pellets on our beaches
Thu 12 Nov 2026 ยท Written for Visit South Shields from the sources below.
Checked 12 Nov 2026.
Scientists have secured funding to spend the next year studying the plastic pellets, or nurdles, that spilled into the River Tyne after two ships collided at the Port of Tyne on 19 July. The work is paid for by the Natural Environment Research Council and covers both the river and the coast. (BBC News, 12 Nov 2026: nurdle impact to be researched for a year; checked 12 Nov 2026)
The team is led from Newcastle University and the University of Liverpool, helped by volunteers and groups including the Environment Agency, Tyne Rivers Trust and Groundwork North East and Cumbria. Part of the work is checking dead seabirds for pellets, because of worries that birds could mistake them for food. The researchers say they have not yet found plastic in the birds' stomachs, but pellets have turned up in regurgitated material. Over the year they also plan to map how far the pellets have travelled. (BBC News, 12 Nov 2026: nurdle impact to be researched for a year; checked 12 Nov 2026)
What it means if you're on the beach: nurdles have been found on beaches across Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside, and volunteers on both sides of the river have been helping to clear them. The researchers are asking the public to keep sending in photos of any nurdles they find. (BBC News, 12 Nov 2026: nurdle impact to be researched for a year; checked 12 Nov 2026) Our Sandhaven and Littlehaven beach guides cover the rest of what you need for a visit.
At the port: the Port of Tyne says the damaged quayside should be fully working again by the end of the year, so container handling can restart at the South Shields site. A replacement for the gantry crane knocked over in the collision has been ordered; it is due in spring 2027 and should be working by the end of next summer. (Shields Gazette, 8 Nov 2026: Port of Tyne to restart container handling; checked 12 Nov 2026)
More: beaches and dog rules, tides and rock pooling FAQ and Littlehaven water quality.