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North Pacific Gyre: The ocean’s hidden garbage dump

Posted by: Maven on May 6, 2010 at 7:28 am

Garbage Patch 1.previewFrom Environmental Graffiti:

“The Pacific Ocean – it’s absolutely breathtaking! Anyone who has ever been on the western coast will agree with me on that. This ocean is home to millions of organisms, but would you ever guess that it is home to an estimated 100m tons of plastic? That’s right, plastic. Roughly 500 miles off the coast of glamorous California is a giant garbage patch, with an area that is nearly twice the size of the continental U.S. This patch, often called the “pacific trash vortex”, is made up of a combination of plastics, chemical sludge and other debris consisting of everything from beach balls to kayaks and duffle bags.

This garbage patch was first discovered in 1988 by the National Oceans and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA). It is thought that the dump formed gradually as a result of pollution gathered from oceanic currents. The patch is essentially held together by the rotating currents in the North Pacific Gyre, which draws in waste from the coasts of both North America and Japan. This means that the junk from two of the most industrialised areas in the world has come together to form a plastic soup in the middle of our ocean. … “


Continue reading this article from Environmental Graffiti by clicking here.

May 6, 2010 · Filed Under Oceans & Beaches

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