Ocean Garbage Patch: The Biggest Enemy of The Ocean
Table of Contents:
- What is Ocean Garbage Patch?
- How Garbage Patch formed by Gyres?
- What is Gyre?
- The Biggest Garbage Patches in The Ocean
- The meaning of “Trash Island” or “Plastic Island”
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP)
- Great Pacific Garbage Patch Facts
- Marine Biodiversity and effect of garbage’s on Marine Biodiversity
- What is Biodiversity?
- Comparitive informations of Garbage Patches
- OCEANS CLEAN UP
- Impact on Wildlife
- Probable Solutions to Reduce Ocean Pollution
- FAQ
What is Ocean Garbage Patch?
The "Garbage Patch" is a gyre of marine trash.
Increasing levels of plastic waste formed this. Hard plastic, plastic sheet or film, fishing lines, ropes and nets were among the debris. The garbage patch is caused by human populations and the impacts of ocean currents. These human-made accumulations of plastic and other trash harm the environment and the ecosystem.
Rivers are thought to be the primary source of plastic
entering the ocean. Since more than half of this plastic is less dense than
water, it won't sink when it reaches the ocean. Every year, 1.15 to 2.41
million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean. According to the United Nations
Environmental Program, there are approximately 46,000 pieces of plastic
"for every square mile of water”.
The more resilient, buoyant, and tougher plastics can
withstand the harsh maritime environment. They can travel great distances.
They continue to float at the surface as they go offshore,
propelled by convergent currents, and eventually assembling in the patch.
Other forms of marine contamination include:
•
Oil spills
•
Ocean mining
•
Littering
•
Nonpoint source pollution
How Garbage Patch formed by Gyres?
What is Gyre?
Gyres, which are revolving ocean currents, are what cause them to form. Like a large whirlpool, it draws things in. The gyres concentrate material into one area, the gyre center. Then it creates "patches".
Global wind patterns, the rotation of the Earth, and the
landmasses of the planet all contribute to the gyre's circulation. Water moves
in the wind's direction because wind drags on the ocean's surface.
Because the borders and contents of Ocean Garbage "patches" are shifting due to ocean currents and winds, it is also challenging to determine their size.
Regardless of the "trash patch's" precise
dimensions, weight, or location, man-made debris has no place in our oceans or
waterway. In 2014, the majority of plastic was concentrated in five locations
across the oceans. In order to locate plastic pollution hotspots at the
surface, researchers gathered a total of 3070 samples from all around the
world.
In short:
- Garbage patch is a round shape space of debris
- Gyres are formed by wind direction and earth rotation
- The dimension and location of garbage patch is irregular as its moving with the wind force.
·
The Biggest Garbage Patches in The Ocean
- The North Atlantic Gyre
- The South Atlantic Gyre
- The North Pacific Gyre
- The South Pacific Gyre
- The Indian Ocean Gyre
1.
are the five gyres that have the most influence on the
ocean.
The meaning of “Trash Island” or “Plastic Island”
The greatest collection of plastic waste in the open ocean
is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). This area is frequently
referred to as the "Pacific Trash Vortex. They have also known as “Trash
Island” or “Plastic Island” in the ocean.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP):
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive dump of plastic debris in the North Pacific Ocean. When plastic breaks down, it does not go away easily. Instead, it accumulates in huge floating islands that are impossible to escape. These trash islands/ plastic islands are often called the Great Pacific Trash Vortex.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch Facts:
- Of the five known garbage patches in the ocean, "GPGP" is the biggest.
- It covers a region twice the size of Texas and is halfway between California and Hawaii.
- The location of the rubbish patch changes with the seasons.
- There are 1.6 million square kilometers of the patch (620 thousand square miles).
- The patch is thought to be made out of 80,000 metric tons of plastic, which is almost 600 Boeing 777s' worth.
Marine Biodiversity and effect of garbage’s on Marine Biodiversity
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the diversity of life on Earth at all levels, from genes to ecosystems.
It can include the evolutionary, ecological,
and cultural processes that sustain life. It covers more than 90% of the
planet's habitable space and is home to over 250,000 known species, with many
more yet to be discovered—at least two-thirds of the world's marine species
remain unidentified.
Plastic pollution, in general, is killing marine life in the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Fishing
nets account for 46% of marine debris, they pose significant risks to marine
life. Every year 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals are affected by
the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Marine animals are easily caught and entangled
in abandoned fishing nets, causing them to choke and be unable to feed.
in short:
- The ocean is a major repository of the world's biodiversity.
- Plastic pollution, in general, is killing marine life in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
- Every year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals, as well as many other species, are affected.
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch's rapid accumulation has a negative impact on the environment.
- Because fishing nets account for 46% of marine debris, they pose significant risks to marine life.
Comparitive informations of Garbage Patches
|
Name |
Also Known as |
Size |
Weight |
Location |
Notes |
|
North Pacific Ocean Garbage
Patch |
Pacific trash vortex/ Great Pacific Garbage Patch |
Estimated 1.6 million square kilometers |
Estimated 80,000 tones |
Between the USA and china and Japan |
It separates in two zones.
|
|
South Pacific Garbage Patch |
|
2.6 million square kilometers |
|
Australia to south Americas coast of Chile |
|
|
North Atlantic Garbage Patch |
|
1.6 million square kilometers |
|
Between Virginia and Cuba |
|
|
South Atlantic Garbage Patch |
|
2.1 to 5.0 million km2 |
|
Between Africa and Brazil |
|
|
Indian Ocean Garbage Patch |
|
Approximate five million square kilometers (two million square miles) |
|
Between the countries of Indian Ocean |
|
OCEANS CLEAN UP
A nonprofit company called The Ocean Cleanup is working to
remove 90% of the floating plastic waste that pollutes water basins like the
North Pacific Ocean by creating and erecting artificial coasts that capture the
waste for simple removal.
The original plan called for long, floating barriers that
were anchored to the seafloor and stabilized by a platform in the middle that
was fashioned like a manta ray. The platforms would collect the floating
plastic, which would then be removed from the water by the barriers.
After their successful System 2 test, they are currently
working on the third phase, known as System 3. The third one adds a third
vessel to the operation and has a cleanup system that is 2,500 meters long
overall.
The rate of plastic caught during operations will grow as
the span increases. Three vessels will now make up System 3, which uses drones
to locate garbage hotspots.
Impact on Wildlife
Wildlife in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems is put at
risk by garbage pollution due to the ingestion and entanglement threats it
poses. Wildlife in marine and
terrestrial ecosystems is put at risk by garbage pollution. At least 558 species,
including turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals, have been documented as having
consumed or become entangled in plastic debris. Getting caught in debris can be
fatal for animals.
Microplastics are particles of plastic garbage smaller than
5 millimeters in size that break down from larger pieces of plastic trash and
are extremely difficult to remove from the environment. Ingestion of
microplastics may provide toxicological concerns to organisms due to their
potential content of or absorption of hazardous substances. When aquatic
species ingest microplastics, the poisons they carry can be ingested by humans.
Certain types of trash floating in the ocean can entangle
marine life and cause serious harm or death. The loss of a fishing net can be
quite risky. In reality, "ghost" nets are so named because they
continue to catch fish even after a fisherman has abandoned them. Animals may
become entangled in or trapped by a ghost net.
Species can be transferred from one location to another via
marine debris. There are a variety of marine organisms that can hitch a ride on
floating trash such as algae, barnacles, crabs, and more. If the species is
invasive and it is able to colonize a new area, it will likely outcompete or
outnumber the existing flora and fauna and cause ecological disruption.
The business, tourism, and recreational opportunities are
all vulnerable to the damage that might be caused by trash in the water. The
cost of cleaning up after rubbish has been released into the environment is
generally borne by taxpayers or local governments.
In short:
- Wildlife in both Marine and Terrestrial ecosystems is put at risk by garbage pollution due to the ingestion and entanglement threats it poses.
- Getting caught in debris can be fatal for animals.
- At least 558 species, including turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals, have been documented by scientists as having consumed or become entangled in plastic debris.
- Certain types of trash floating in the ocean can entangle marine life and cause serious harm or death.
- Animals may become entangled in or trapped by the ghost nets.
Probable Solutions to Reduce Ocean Pollution
Japan has been researching solutions to plastic pollution,
one of which is the development of a plant-based plastic that is biodegradable
in seawater and does not add toxic components to the ocean once it has
decomposed. The issue with these plastics is the higher manufacturing costs.
Their potential applications are restricted because they are not as durable as
regular plastic products and cannot withstand contact with water.
The truth is, only through recycling and reusing can we
expect any success.
Additional steps can be taken:
- Lessen Your Dependence on Plastic Bags
- Help pass laws that will reduce plastic usage and dumping
- Help Clean Up a Beach or River
- Microbead-Ridden Products Should Be Avoided (Products Which has Tiny Plastic Particles)
- Get Behind Efforts to Reduce Plastic Waste
FAQ
Can ocean plastic be recycled?
It’s not easy to recycle plastics items collected from ocean
garbage’s. Some reasons:
- They are polluted and extremely hazardous.
- they are difficult to collect
- Since not all types of plastics could be recycled, this method required careful sorting.
Where does ocean garbage come from?
By weight, 70% to 80% of the plastic in our seas comes from
land-based sources, and the remaining 20% to 30% is from marine sources, such
as fishing nets, lines, ropes, and abandoned ships.
Every year, over eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean. China, the Philippines, and Indonesia are in first place on the list.
Can you walk on garbage islands?
No!
These patches are almost entirely made up of tiny bits of plastic, called microplastics, but they are not actually "islands of rubbish or plastics” and you cannot walk on them.
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