Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Some reports about the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” would lead you to believe that this marine mass of plastic is bigger than Texas. No worries, it’s not. However, the ‘patch’ extends over an indeterminate area, with estimates ranging very widely depending on the degree of plastic concentration used to define the affected area.
The ‘patch’ is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of plastics, chemical sludge and other trash that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre.
The debris is continuously mixed by wind and wave action and widely dispersed both over huge surface areas and throughout the top portion of the water . It is possible to sail through the “garbage patch” area and see very little or no pollution on the water’s surface. It is also difficult to estimate the size of these “patches,” because the borders and content constantly change with ocean currents and winds. Regardless of the exact size, mass, and location of the “garbage patch,” manmade debris does not belong in our oceans and waterways and must be addressed. Debris found in any region of the ocean can easily be ingested by marine species causing choking, starvation, and other impairments.
