The Pacific Ocean has been collecting trash for decades, turning it into two large, floating islands of garbage. The entire patch, which covers hundreds of thousands of square miles, is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The dangers of human-made garbage include marine life and the environment, which can even cause environmental problems.
Jenny, an environmental organization, was deployed for World Oceans Day in August 2021, where she was cleared out 14,832 pounds of trash. In October, Ocean Cleanup called that work the beginning of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Plastic pollution and microplastics have been shown to be contributing to climate change, since heat can cause them to release greenhouse gasesses. Coastal pollution must be avoided in the oceans, which adds an additional8 million tons of plastic each year.
Here''s all we know about the Pacific Ocean''s island of trash, and how you can help.
The Ocean Cleanups goals include removing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Here''s what''s expected from one haul in 2021.
Where is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
In the Pacific Ocean, the garbage patch is one vortice filled with trash. The two whirlpools of human detritus are now known as the Western Garbage Patch (closer to Japan) and the Eastern Garbage Patch (closer to California and Mexico).
The gyres are known as when two ocean currents come together to form a hurricane-like current, according to Nancy Wallace, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Materials then get caught in the gyres.
While you might think the patches are a solid mass of folded plastic, they are actually dispersed across hundreds of miles of the Pacific. It is possible to sail through the patches without even knowing youre in them. This is because as much as 70% of the trash eventually sinks to the bottom of the ocean, according to Wallace.
What sort of garbage is hidden in ocean trash?
The majority of the trash comes from land in North America and Asia, like plastic bottles and straws that have found their way into the ocean. Trash can eventually make its way into the ocean from land-based sources, such as rivers, storm water, and littering.
According to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, 20 percent of the income raised by boats or ships that discard debris into the ocean, including lost fishing gear.
How large is the garbage patch?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, according to the Ocean Cleanup, covers 1.6 million square kilometers, half the size of Texas or three times the size of France. It is estimated to span 620,000 square kilometers.
The actual size of the island of trash is unknown, as long as not all of the trash sits on the top of the water, according to Wallace, and its a moving goal is because of waves and wind. However, it does, however, remain within a specific area due to ocean currents.
Watch this: The Ocean Cleanups upgraded interceptors: A weapon against the ocean
19:14
How much trash is in the garbage patch?
According to Conservation.org, an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash are in the garbage patch, which is anticipated to surpass its fish by 2050.
The Ocean Cleanup said it found over 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic on the patch, weighing an estimated 80,000 tons. The organization said the number is a medium range value, and its estimates suggested that it may be from 1.1 to 3.6 trillion pieces.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, at least 8 million tons of plastic are entered in all of the oceans every year. Currently, ocean-borne plastic is expected to double by 2030.
In California, a western gull flows along the Pacific coast. Animals can substitute plastics in the ocean for food.
How does the garbage affect marine life?
Sea turtles with fishing nets that are strewn around their bodies and shells are susceptible to deadly effects on marine life. Human-generated debris can also engulf them, which can make them feel as though they are full. This can also lacerate their organs.
According to the WWF, plastic can stifle and stifle marine animals and their habitats, and it can take hundreds of years to break down.
Microplastics can also damage the ocean
Microplastics are less than five millimeters long and come from larger debris that breaks down into smaller pieces, making them much easier to filter out. These small plastics may pose a danger to aquatic animals as they can ingest the debris.
Is it possible to eating fish that have consumed these microplastics harm humans? Ocean Cleanup claims that when animals consume plastics that contain chemicals, there is a possibility the chemicals may eventually transfer their food into the people.
According to the NOAA, more research is required to determine the effects of microplastics.
Watch this: Saildrones are en route to the ocean, counting fish, and monitoring.
19:05
Is ocean waste a contributing factor to climate change?
Chemical components and legacy pollutants absorb into the plastic the marine animals are eating, according to Wallace. Finally, sunlight and heat cause the plastic to release powerful greenhouse gasesses. The WWF says as the planet grows hotter, the plastic has dissolved into methane and ethylene, which increases the rate of climate warming.
According to Iberdrola, a multinational electric company, ocean plastic is damaging air quality, pollution the environment, and ultimately contributes to global warming.
Is there any effort being made to remove the ocean trash?
Yes. Groups are working to prevent more trash from ending up in garbage patches by decreasing the amount of single-use items, such as bottles and straws. There are also people working on cleanup and cleanup of debris on or near the shore because it is easier to get land trash picked up.
Others are contemplating putting open ocean cleanup in order to remove debris like fishing gear and other smaller items that are floating around, but there are a few challenges, as the Pacific Ocean is so big and deep.
Reusable bottles may help prevent further plastic bottles from entering the ocean.
What can I do to help clean up ocean trash?
- Support people in all levels of the government who advocate policies addressing climate change.
Read on how scientists estimate 85% of the world''s population is affected by climate change for more information.
