An estimated 2. Today, as the hotly contested estimated surface area swells to 1. How did this happen? What can we do? And how long will it take this storm of our own garbage to strike the beaches of California? There are five major marine debris concentrations in the world, and they exist because of the natural effect of ocean gyres and manmade plastic pollution. Ocean gyres are large systems of circulating ocean currents caused by wind, tides, and the rotational Coriolis effect of the Earth.
The result? Irresponsibly discarded plastic floats along the major currents and is sucked into one of five gigantic vortices around the world. On top of that, the buoyant plastic is degraded into smaller pieces microplastics through sun damage, temperature variations, waves, and marine life.
Some damaged plastic, meanwhile, will lose its buoyancy and sink. That explains the debate over the true size of these plastic-ridden gyres. However, there is no argument over which of the garbage patches is the most formidable problem. The garbage patch circulating closest to the shores of the United States is a perfect storm. Fishermen shun it because its waters lack the nutrients to support an abundant catch. Sailors dodge it because it lacks the wind to propel their sailboats.
In the week it took to cross the subtropical high, no matter what time of day I looked, plastic debris was floating everywhere: bottles, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments. Months later, after I discussed what I had seen with the oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, perhaps the world's leading expert on flotsam, he began referring to the area as the 'eastern garbage patch.
Strange Cargo When ships are caught in storms, they often lose cargo to the oceans. The following are just a few of the strange items that have washed up on shores:. Also called an alpha predator or top predator.
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You cannot download interactives. Marine ecosystems contain a diverse array of living organisms and abiotic processes. From massive marine mammals like whales to the tiny krill that form the bottom of the food chain, all life in the ocean is interconnected.
While the ocean seems vast and unending, it is, in fact, finite; as the climate continues to change, we are learning more about those limits. Explore these resources to teach students about marine organisms, their relationship with one another, and with their environment.
Whether a description of a keystone species or the impact of the Pacific garbage patch, these articles provide insight into a breadth of important issues facing our world today, including the environment, civic engagement, and history. Plastic is ubiquitous in our everyday lives. Some plastics we can reuse or recycle—and many play important roles in areas like medicine and public safety—but other items, such as straws, are designed for only one use.
In fact, more than 40 percent of plastic is used only once before it is thrown away, where it lingers in the environment for a long, long time. It often breaks down into smaller and smaller particles, called microplastics, which can be ingested by both animals and people. Fortunately, there are things we can do to help—like stop using plastic bags, straws, and bottles, recycling when we can, and disposing of waste properly.
Use these classroom resources to teach about ocean plastics and check back for more coming later this year! Use this idea and suggested resources to build the perfect lesson or activity on plastic pollution and ocean circulation for your classroom. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom.
Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a soupy collection of marine debris—mostly plastics. Worldwide Garbage Patches. The Atlantic and Indian Oceans both have trash vortexes. Even shipping routes in smaller bodies of water, such as the North Sea, are developing garbage patches. The following are just a few of the strange items that have washed up on shores: In , five shipping containers of Nike sneakers and work boots were lost to the Pacific in a storm.
People in Washington and Oregon snatched up the shoes on shore, holding swap meets to find matched pairs to wear or sell. For example, it may also cause damage to vessels and be a navigation hazard. A boat moving through the water can hit the debris, possibly resulting in costly vessel damage. Nets can become entangled in propellers and clog intakes.
The answer is that we do not know. The locations and sizes of these garbage patches are not likely to change very much any time soon. However, the amount of debris may continue to grow as more and more debris enters our ocean each year. This growth will likely worsen current impacts on the environment, navigation, vessel safety, and the economy. It may not be possible to entirely get rid of garbage patches.
Some of the material will take a very long time to break down in the environment, while other materials, like plastics, may never fully go away. Large debris, like fishing nets, can be removed by people, but debris in the garbage patches is also mostly made up by count of plastic pieces smaller than 5mm in size. The debris is also continuously mixed by wind and wave action and is spread from the surface all the way to the ocean floor.
Since these microplastics are so small in size, constantly being mixed, and spread out, it would be very difficult to remove them. Finding a cost effective technological solution which can take on these challenges is an extremely daunting task. Unfortunately, we will be dealing with this problem for the foreseeable future.
Here at the NOAA Marine Debris Program, we focus on marine debris prevention and removal from shorelines and coastal areas where debris is easier to pick up.
Prevention is key to solving the marine debris problem over time. If you think about an overflowing sink, the first step before cleaning up the water is to turn the tap off. That is exactly how prevention works. By acting to prevent marine debris, we can stop this problem from growing.
To prevent marine debris, we need to understand where it is coming from. Ineffective or improper waste management, dumping or littering, and stormwater runoff all lead to marine debris. If we want to "turn off the tap," everyone, including government, businesses, and people like you, will have to make some meaningful changes.
We are the problem, and so we must also be the solution.
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