But you're saying that most of the plastic is so small that's it's hard or impossible to see. Can you talk a little more about the plastic debris in the ocean Plastics never really go away.
They just break down over and over and over again until they become smaller and smaller from sunlight and other environmental factors [like] waves, big storms, those kind of things. I would imagine this plastic kind of looks like food. Do we know if fish and birds are eating this stuff? They even eat some larger plastics.
So for example, the Laysan Albatross in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, we know that just about every dead albatross found on Midway Atoll has some form of plastic in its stomach. We don't know if that's what killed it, but we know that this is becoming a big problem. So we know that there are micro plastics in the ocean. We know that birds and fish and even some larger marine mammals eat these plastics. We know there are chemicals in the plastics and we know that the chemicals can absorb other toxic chemicals that are floating around in the ocean.
So now the big question is, what are those plastics doing to the animals that eat them. Especially if most of the trash is contained in 'garbage patch' areas because of the way the debris naturally accumulates because of ocean currents.
However, his project is currently on hold. Another proposal has come from a group of North Korean researchers involving a type of giant spherical vacuum cleaner although none of the two proposals has yet to be implemented, despite the option from the student, Boyan Slat, possibly being entirely fruitful since it involves selling the large amount of plastic to recycling companies.
Why not implement it then? Garbage Patches: Effects on the marine ecosystem Although it seems indestructible, plastic quickly decomposes it starts within a year due to the effects of the sun and water, and ends up becoming a terrible pollutant for the marine ecosystem given the toxic substances it releases and introduces into the food chain. Share on social media. Related Posts. These 2 patches are connected by the Subtropical Convergence Zone and they are the biggest plastic landfills in the ocean today.
The Atlantic Ocean also has a garbage patch in the Sargasso Sea. Aside from the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, plastic landfills are also turning up in other major tropical oceanic gyres in the world. There are places in the ocean where currents meet.
In this location, anything that gets caught in the gyre will not be able to get out. The garbage that we innocently throw into the ocean, fishermen paraphernalia, the sludge disposed of by factories and debris from Tsunamis — they get trapped in the gyres, in a sort of whirlpool. Since these islands are in the middle of the ocean and far away from any coastline, no country is taking responsibility for the cleanup.
Fortunately, many environmental organizations are raising awareness so the patch will stop growing. At this point, even if we had gigantic nets that can be used to catch the debris, the size of the ocean, the location and the circumstances make it difficult.
In the meantime, while the technology to clean up our mess is not yet available, you can do your share! Recycle and Reuse. Recycling is popular and a lot of people know about it, but very few practice it. 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. Why is Marine Debris a Problem? Garbage Patches. Explore some of the most frequently asked questions and topics related to marine debris. Garbage Patches Fact Sheet. What and Where Are Garbage Patches?
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