Large Plastic Garbage Patches in the Ocean
According to NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) there are garbage patch areas all over the world where marine debris naturally concentrates because of ocean currents. There are vast regions in the ocean where the water column looks like a peppery soup with small bits and pieces of plastic.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California is made up of tiny micro plastics, with some larger items and fishing gear swirling around.
Plastics are Harming the Marine Environment
The accumulation of plastics in our waters has become an environmental threat of epic proportions. 2An estimated 1.7 million tons enter the ocean each year, where it entangles, starves and kills millions of animals, smothers coral reefs and breaks down into micro and nano-sized particles that enter the food chain.
“Plastic pollutes habitats, ecosystems, places where animals already live” says Rebecca Helm, a marine ecologist at Georgetown University. So taking plastic out using something like big nets is going to take life out with it.”
Tiny microplastics in the water are difficult to remove. Some birds and fish eat micro plastics and even some larger pieces of plastic. Most of the plastic in the water is micro plastics that are tiny and difficult to see. Plastic never goes away; it just breaks down into smaller pieces from the sun, waves and storms.
1 Dianna Parker from NOAA says that “We did some quick calculations that if you tried to clean up less than one percent of the North Pacific Ocean, it would take 67 ships one year to clean up that portion. And the bottom line is that until we prevent debris from entering the ocean at the source, it’s just going to keep congregating in these areas. We could go out and clean it all up and then still have the same problem on our hands as long as there’s debris entering the ocean.”
There are organizations that are currently removing the plastic debris from the oceans but have only been able to make a small impact.
The need for more financial support for Organizations Cleaning up the Oceans, Rivers and Lakes
There are some organizations that have received some financial support but need more financial partners and funders to expand their efforts. The scope of the pollution is huge, and they will need many more vessels and equipment to make a major impact.
Preventing Debris from Getting Into the Oceans, Rivers and Lakes
Public awareness: there needs to be more public awareness of the seriousness of this problem and that they can do their part to help prevent it.
We need a more concerted effort to prevent trash from being tossed on the beaches and waterfronts to prevent it from getting into the oceans, rivers and lakes. We all need to create less waste, reuse what we can, recycle and not litter.
References:
- NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration): ‘The Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ –
Making Waves: Episode 126 - OCEAN: ‘Could ocean plastic cleanups be doing more harm than good?’
