The area of increased plastic particles is located within the
North Pacific Gyre, one of the five major oceanic
gyres.
The
Great Pacific garbage patch, also described as the
Pacific trash vortex, is a
gyre of
marine debris particles in the central
North Pacific Ocean located roughly between
135°W to
155°W and
35°N and
42°N.
[1] 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
pelagic plastics,
chemical sludge and other
debris that have been trapped by the currents of the
North Pacific Gyre.
[2]Despite its size and density (4 particles per cubic meter), the patch is not visible from
satellite photography, nor even necessarily to a casual boater or diver in the area, since it consists primarily of a small increase in suspended, often-microscopic particles in the upper
water column. Since plastics break down to even smaller
polymers, concentrations of submerged particles are not visible from space, nor do they appear as a continuous debris field to human eyes. Instead, the patch is defined as an area in which the mass of plastic debris in the upper water column is significantly higher than average.
Discovery[edit]
The Patch is created in the gyre of the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone
The Great Pacific garbage patch was predicted in a 1988 paper published by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) of the United States. The prediction was based on results obtained by several Alaska-based researchers between 1985 and 1988 that measured
neustonic plastic in the North Pacific Ocean.
[3] This research found high concentrations of marine debris accumulating in regions governed by ocean currents. Extrapolating from findings in the
Sea of Japan, the researchers hypothesized that similar conditions would occur in other parts of the Pacific where prevailing currents were favorable to the creation of relatively stable waters. They specifically indicated the North Pacific Gyre.
[4]
Charles J. Moore, returning home through the North Pacific Gyre after competing in the
Transpac sailing race in 1997, came upon an enormous stretch of floating debris. Moore alerted the
oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, who subsequently dubbed the region the "Eastern Garbage Patch" (EGP).
[5] The area is frequently featured in media reports as an exceptional example of
marine pollution.
[6]
The patch is not easily visible because it consists of very small pieces, almost invisible to the naked eye,
[7] most of its contents are suspended beneath the surface of the ocean,
[8] and the relatively low density of the plastic debris at, in one scientific study, 5.1 kilograms of plastic per square kilometer of ocean area.
[9]
Formation[edit]
The north Pacific Garbage Patch on a continuous ocean map
It is thought that, like other areas of concentrated marine debris in the world's oceans, the Great Pacific garbage patch formed gradually as a result of marine pollution gathered by
oceanic currents.
[12] The garbage patch occupies a large and relatively stationary region of the North Pacific Ocean bound by the North Pacific Gyre (a remote area commonly referred to as the
horse latitudes). The gyre's rotational pattern draws in waste material from across the North Pacific Ocean, including coastal waters off North America and Japan. As material is captured in the currents, wind-driven surface currents gradually move floating debris toward the center, trapping it in the region.
There are no strong scientific data concerning the origins of
pelagicplastics.
[citation needed] The figure that an estimated 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources and 20% from ships is derived from an unsubstantiated estimate.
[13] According to a 2011
EPA report, "The primary source of marine debris is the improper waste disposal or management of trash and manufacturing products, including plastics (e.g., littering, illegal dumping) ... Debris is generated on land at marinas, ports, rivers, harbors, docks, and storm drains. Debris is generated at sea from fishing vessels, stationary platforms and cargo ships."
[14] Pollutants range in size from abandoned fishing nets to micro-pellets used in abrasive cleaners.
[15] Currents carry debris from the west coast of North America to the gyre in about six years,
[16] and debris from the east coast of Asia in a year or less.
[17][18] An international research project led by Dr. Hideshige Takada of
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology studying plastic pellets, or
nurdles, from beaches around the world may provide further clues about the origins of pelagic plastic.
[19]
Logically, the land-based sources of pollutants and plastics come from the great rivers from around the world. The Ganges, in India, is an example of a source of major sea pollution (see
Pollution of the Ganges). The major rivers of Bangladesh, Nigeria, and other developing nations collectively provide another example of marine-pollution sources.
Estimates of size[edit]
The size of the patch is unknown, as large items readily visible from a boat deck are uncommon. Most debris consists of small plastic particles suspended at or just below the surface, making it impossible to detect by aircraft or satellite. Instead, the size of the patch is determined by sampling. Estimates of size range from 700,000 square kilometres (270,000 sq mi) to more than 15,000,000 square kilometres (5,800,000 sq mi) (0.41% to 8.1% of the size of the Pacific Ocean), or, in some media reports, up to "twice the size of the continental United States".
[20] Such estimates, however, are conjectural given the complexities of sampling and the need to assess findings against other areas. Further, although the size of the patch is determined by a higher-than-normal degree of concentration of
pelagic debris, there is no standard for determining the boundary between "normal" and "elevated" levels of pollutants to provide a firm estimate of the affected area.
Net-based surveys are less subjective than direct observations but are limited regarding the area that can be sampled (net apertures 1–2 m and ships typically have to slow down to deploy nets, requiring dedicated ship's time). The plastic debris sampled is determined by net mesh size, with similar mesh sizes required to make meaningful comparisons among studies. Floating debris typically is sampled with a
neuston or
manta trawl net lined with 0.33 mm mesh. Given the very high level of spatial clumping in marine litter, large numbers of net tows are required to adequately characterize the average abundance of litter at sea. Long-term changes in plastic meso-litter have been reported using surface net tows: in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in 1999, plastic abundance was 335 000 items/km
2 and 5.1 kg/km
2, roughly an order of magnitude greater than samples collected in the 1980s. Similar dramatic increases in plastic debris have been reported off Japan. However, caution is needed in interpreting such findings, because of the problems of extreme spatial heterogeneity, and the need to compare samples from equivalent water masses, which is to say that, if an examination of the same parcel of water a week apart is conducted, an order of magnitude change in plastic concentration could be observed.
[21]
In August 2009, the
Scripps Institution of Oceanography/
Project Kaisei SEAPLEX survey mission of the Gyre found that plastic debris was present in 100 consecutive samples taken at varying depths and net sizes along a 1,700 miles (2,700 km) path through the patch. The survey also confirmed that, while the debris field does contain large pieces, it is on the whole made up of smaller items that increase in concentration toward the Gyre's centre, and these '
confetti-like' pieces are clearly visible just beneath the surface. Although many media and advocacy reports have suggested that the patch extends over an area larger than the continental U.S., recent research sponsored by the
National Science Foundation suggests the affected area may be much smaller.
[21][22][23] Recent data collected from Pacific
albatross populations suggest there may be two distinct zones of concentrated debris in the Pacific.
[24]
Photodegradation of plastics[edit]
The Great Pacific garbage patch has one of the highest levels known of plastic particulate suspended in the upper water column. As a result, it is one of several oceanic regions where researchers have studied the effects and impact of plastic
photodegradation in the
neustonic layer of water.
[25] Unlike organic debris, which
biodegrades, the photodegraded plastic disintegrates into ever smaller pieces while remaining a
polymer. This process continues down to the
molecular level.
[26] As the plastic
flotsam photodegrades into smaller and smaller pieces, it concentrates in the upper water column. As it disintegrates, the plastic ultimately becomes small enough to be ingested by aquatic organisms that reside near the ocean's surface. In this way, plastic may become concentrated in
neuston, thereby entering the
food chain.
Some plastics decompose within a year of entering the water, leaching potentially toxic chemicals such as
bisphenol A,
PCBs, and derivatives of
polystyrene.
[27]
The process of disintegration means that the plastic particulate in much of the affected region is too small to be seen. In a 2001 study, researchers (including Charles Moore) found concentrations of plastic particles at 334,721 pieces per km
2 with a mean mass of 5,114 grams (11.27 lbs) per km
2, in the
neuston. Assuming each particle of plastic averaged 5 mm × 5 mm × 1 mm, this would amount to only 8 m
2 per km
2 due to small particulates. Nonetheless, this represents a very high amount with respect to the overall ecology of the neuston. In many of the sampled areas, the overall concentration of plastics was seven times greater than the concentration of
zooplankton. Samples collected at deeper points in the water column found much lower concentrations of plastic particles (primarily
monofilament fishing line pieces).
[9] Nevertheless, according to the mentioned estimates, only a very small part of the plastic would be near the surface.
Effect on wildlife[edit]
Some of these long-lasting plastics end up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals, and their young,
[5][28][29] including
sea turtles and the
Black-footed Albatross.
Midway Atoll receives substantial amounts of
marine debris from the patch. Of the 1.5 million
Laysan Albatrosses that inhabit Midway, nearly all are found to have plastic in their
digestive system.
[30] Approximately one-third of their chicks die, and many of those deaths are due to being fed plastic from their parents.
[31][32]Twenty tons of plastic debris washes up on Midway every year with five tons of that debris being fed to Albatross chicks.
[33]
Besides the particles' danger to wildlife, on the
microscopic level the floating debris can absorb
organic pollutants from seawater, including
PCBs,
DDT, and
PAHs.
[34]Aside from toxic effects,
[35] when ingested, some of these are mistaken by the
endocrine system as
estradiol, causing hormone disruption in the affected animal.
[32] These toxin-containing plastic pieces are also eaten by
jellyfish, which are then eaten by larger fish.
Many of these fish are then consumed by humans, resulting in their ingestion of toxic chemicals.
[36] Marine plastics also facilitate the spread of invasive species that attach to floating plastic in one region and drift long distances to colonize other ecosystems.
[15]
On the
macroscopic level, the physical size of the plastic kills fish, birds and turtles as the animals'
digestion can not break down the plastic that is taking up space inside their
stomachs.
[37] A second effect of the macroscopic plastic is to make it much more difficult for animals to detect their normal sources of food. While eating their normal source of food plastic ingestion can be unavoidable.
Research has shown that this plastic marine debris affects at least 267 species worldwide and a few of the 267 species reside in the North Pacific Gyre.
[38]
Microbial degradation[edit]
Bacteria have been found in the plastic polluted waters of the
Sargasso sea that consume plastic; however, it is unknown whether these bacteria ultimately clean up poisons or simply spread them elsewhere in the marine microbial ecosystem. Plastic debris can absorb toxic chemicals from ocean pollution, potentially poisoning anything that eats it.
[39]
Research of cleanup[edit]
In April 2008, Richard Sundance Owen, a building contractor and scuba dive instructor, formed the Environmental Cleanup Coalition (ECC) to address the issue of North Pacific pollution. ECC collaborates with other groups to identify methods to safely remove plastic and
persistent organic pollutants from the oceans.
[40][41]
Project Kaisei is a project to study and clean up the garbage patch launched in March 2009. In August 2009, two project vessels, the
New Horizon and the
Kaisei, embarked on a voyage to research the patch and determine the feasibility of commercial scale collection and recycling.
[45]
The SEAPLEX expedition, a group of researchers from
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, spent 19 days on the ocean in August, 2009 researching the patch. Their primary goal was to describe the abundance and distribution of plastic in the gyre in the most rigorous study to date. Researchers were also looking at the impact of plastic on
mesopelagic fish, such as
lanternfish.
[46][47] This group utilized a fully capable dedicated oceanographic research vessel, the 170 ft (52 m) long
New Horizon.
[48]
In 2012, Miriam C. Goldstein, Marci Rosenberg, and Lanna Cheng wrote:
Plastic pollution in the form of small particles (diameter less than 5 mm) — termed ‘microplastic’ — has been observed in many parts of the world ocean. They are known to interact with biota on the individual level, e.g. through ingestion, but their population-level impacts are largely unknown. One potential mechanism for microplastic-induced alteration of pelagic ecosystems is through the introduction of hard-substrate habitat to ecosystems where it is naturally rare. Here, we show that microplastic concentrations in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) have increased by two orders of magnitude in the past four decades, and that this increase has released the pelagic insect
Halobates sericeus from substrate limitation for oviposition. High concentrations of microplastic in the NPSG resulted in a positive correlation between H. sericeus and microplastic, and an overall increase in H. sericeus egg densities. Predation on H. sericeus eggs and recent hatchlings may facilitate the transfer of energy between pelagic- and substrate-associated assemblages. The dynamics of hard-substrate-associated organisms may be important to understanding the ecological impacts of oceanic microplastic pollution.
[49]
The Goldstein et al. study compared changes in small plastic abundance between 1972-1987 and 1999-2010 by using historical samples from the Scripps Pelagic Invertebrate Collection and data from SEAPLEX, a NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer cruise in 2010, information from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation as well as various published papers.
[50]
At TEDxDelft2012,
[51][52] Dutch Aerospace Engineering student
Boyan Slat unveiled a concept for removing large amounts of marine debris from the five oceanic gyres. With his concept called
The Ocean Cleanup, he proposes a radical clean-up that would use the surface currents to let the debris drift to specially designed arms and collection platforms. This way the running costs would be virtually zero, and the operation would be so efficient that it may even be profitable. The concept makes use of floating booms, that won’t catch the debris, but divert it. This way by-catch would be avoided, and even the smallest particles would be extracted. According to Boyan Slat's calculations, a gyre could realistically be cleaned up in five years' time, collecting at least 7.25 million tons of plastic combining all gyres.
[53] He however does note that an ocean-based cleanup is only half the story, and will therefore have to be paired with 'radical plastic pollution prevention methods in order to succeed'.
[53][54]
Method, a producer of household products, took the garbage patch as an opportunity and began marketing a dish soap whose container is made partly of recycled ocean plastic. The company sent crews to Hawaiian beaches to recover some of the debris that had washed up.
[55]
Many artists, such as
Marina DeBris use trash from the garbage patch to create
trashion, or clothes made out of trash. The main purpose is to educate people about the garbage patch.
"A Captive Audience" by Marina DeBris, modeled by Daniya Mussina & made from fish nets found by Captain Charles Moore in the Pacific Gyre, and beach toys found washed up on the beach.
2012 Expedition[edit]
The 2012 Algalita/
5 Gyres Asia Pacific Expedition, though plagued by severe weather on Leg 2, met the goals and objectives it set out to achieve.
Beginning in the
Marshall Islands on May 1, Leg 1 investigated the little-studied Western Pacific garbage patch, arriving in
Tokyo three weeks later. During their scheduled layover and crew change, an international scientific symposium was held with Captain Charles Moore as one of the speakers.
Marcus Eriksen led the expedition, collecting samples for the 5 Gyres Institute, Algalita Marine Research Foundation and several other colleagues, including NOAA, SCRIPPS, IPRC and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Hank Carson was aboard to study colonial communities fouling marine debris, as well as collect samples of plastic pollution for his students and colleagues at University of Hawaii at Hilo. Filmmakers Alex and Tyler Mifflin were aboard to document the journey for a series titled “The Water Brothers”, in which they explore water issues around the world. Belinda Braithwaite, Carolyn Box, Bob Atwater, Valerie Lecour, Michael Brown, Shanley Mcentee and Kristal Ambrose rounded out the expedition.
[56]
From October 4 to November 9, 2012, the Sea Education Association (SEA) conducted a research expedition to study plastic pollution in the North Pacific gyre. 38 sailors, scientists, ship's crew, and journalists sailed from San Diego, California to Honolulu, Hawaii aboard the SSV Robert C. Seamans, led by Chief Scientist Emelia DeForce and Captain Jason Quilter. A similar research expedition was conducted by SEA in the North Atlantic Ocean in 2010. During the Plastics at SEA 2012 North Pacific Expedition, a total of 118 net tows were conducted and nearly 70,000 pieces of plastic were counted to estimate the density of plastics, map the distribution of plastics in the gyre, and examine the effects of plastic debris on marine life.
[57]
