Here is a material that can be used to clean the ocean. Created by University of California, Riverside engineers, Sponge can be used to make bathing suits, allowing the wearers to clean the water as they swim. Sponge is derived from heated sucrose and has a hydrophobic property. It repels water but absorbs harmful materials.
As the researchers explain:
The Sponge material can absorb up to 25 times its own weight and it doesn’t release the absorbed materials unless it is heated at a temperature exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius.
The contaminants do not come in touch with your skin though. Pretty cool, isn’t it? More info is available here.