(Here's an essay I wrote a couple weeks ago)
The Great Pacific garbage patch, also known as the “Pacific trash vortex”, is a massive swirl of man-made rubbish in the North Pacific Ocean; more specifically in the North Pacific gyre, which is one of the 5 major oceanic gyres. A gyre is a vortex of wind and currents, rotating in a clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere. This creates a whirlpool effect, whereby the vortex towards the centre moves slower. The gyre was discovered in between 1985-1988 and is by far the largest ecosystem on earth, covering 20,000,000 square kilometres.
The Great Pacific garbage patch, also known as the “Pacific trash vortex”, is a massive swirl of man-made rubbish in the North Pacific Ocean; more specifically in the North Pacific gyre, which is one of the 5 major oceanic gyres. A gyre is a vortex of wind and currents, rotating in a clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and counter clockwise in the southern hemisphere. This creates a whirlpool effect, whereby the vortex towards the centre moves slower. The gyre was discovered in between 1985-1988 and is by far the largest ecosystem on earth, covering 20,000,000 square kilometres.
Disposed glass, plastics, and paper get trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre and take about 7 full days to completely cross the gyre. However, this rubbish mixture is mainly concentrated with different types of plastics. As it happens 90% of all rubbish floating in the ocean is plastic, despite the fact that they have only existed for just over a century. By 1988 in the USA alone, 30 million tons of plastic were produced annually. The pelagic Debris has derived from 80% land-based sources and 20% ocean-based sources:
Land-based Source: | Examples |
Tourism related litter (at coasts) |
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Sewage related waste |
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Fishing related apparatus |
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Ship and boat related waste |
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Non-biodegradable persistent wastes |
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Landfills |
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Industrial activities |
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Ocean-based Source: | Examples |
Commercial fishing |
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Recreational boaters |
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Merchant, military and research vessels |
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Offshore oil and gas platforms and explorations |
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As they continuously circulate the perimeter of the gyre, they get broken down into unbelievably minuscule pieces of debris. For example, a plastic bag will turn into microscopic plastic pellets suspended in the currents. They are too small to be filtered out and remain in the seawater, releasing toxic chemicals and dye as they are submerged there until they decompose. As a result, marine life situated in nearby habitats are suffering a dramatic decrease in population.
In 2006, UN environment programs have estimated that every square mile of ocean held at least 46,000 pieces of floating plastic debris. It has been 10 years since, and there is no doubt that the number has increased. The amount of plastic debris has just been accumulating as decomposing plastic can remain for 450-1000 years. Even a small plastic bottle can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade.
It is difficult to determine exactly how large the patch is; however, estimates range from 700,000 square kilometres (about the size of Zambia) to more than 15,000,000 square kilometres (twice the size of the United States)! However, due to its expansive area, it has a low density (4 particles per cubic meter); It is not visible from satellite photography, and in some cases, casual boaters and divers in the area do not realise they are swimming in a churning concoction of concentrated chemical sludge and debris.
Plastic debris causes death by ingestion. In fact, there have been several cases where organisms have died due to a belly full of plastic. One example is in March 2015 (not very long ago!), a Pygmy sperm whale washed up on McNabs Island (Canada). Upon performing the necropsy, the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) found plastic bags and plastic strapping lodged along the whale’s neck and stomach. This caused a blockage in the digestive tract (and in other cases the organisms stomach is just filled up with plastic), resulting in malnutrition, starvation and eventually death. Tonya Wimmer, the coordinator of MARS said, “It wasn’t even that much plastic. Everyone sort of gasped and stopped.”
Whales are not the only organisms who fall prey to these incidents. It is becoming increasingly common among sea turtles, seabirds and general marine mammals and fish. The reason why they ingest the debris is most commonly due to the fact that the marine debris look like food or prey. It has taken a huge toll on our ecosystems. Studies have shown that 50-80% of sea turtles’ deaths have been a result of ingested marine debris. Additionally, a major problem for young turtles is dietary dilution; where debris takes up space in the gut and so threatens their ability to take in the necessary quantities of food.
111 out of 312 seabird species are known to ingest debris, and as we speak this is affecting up to 80% of the seabird population. These birds pass on regurgitated debris to their chicks as food and eventually the birds suffer weight loss from a falsely sated appetite. This is especially harmful for seabirds as they fail to gain adequate fat stores, essential for migration and reproduction.
Unfortunately, the suffering doesn’t end there. A large amount of marine debris takes a unique shape that can cause entanglement: derelict fishing apparatus like nets, monofilament line, six-pack rings from buying drinks in bulk, and strapping bands from fishing bait boxes. These debris can cause death by strangulation, suffocation, drowning, and injuries. Seals and sea lions have an inquisitive nature and so their behaviour of investigating objects in their environment has never been foreign. As a result, an estimated 58% of the seal and sea lion species are being affected by entanglement. Species like the Hawaiian monk seal, Australian sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, and species in the Southern Ocean.
The rate of the decreasing marine population is at an all time high. Whales and turtles are being found wrapped, unable to move, trapped in plastic. Manatees are being found with scars and missing flippers because of entanglement. Even the coral reefs are being damaged when nets or lines get caught by the reef and break it off. For example, the coral reef ecosystems of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are suffering from contamination by large amounts of derelict fishing gear washed away from fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean.
A study conducted in 1996 shows that these plastic debris have affected at least 267 species of marine life worldwide. This is 86% of all sea turtles, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species and numerous fish and crustacean species.
So what is being done about this? A number of conventions and agreements have been held in different areas of the world such as the Mediterranean, Caribbean and European regions. As well as this, a convention known as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (or MARPOL, short for marine pollution) brought legislation into force in 1988. Their aim was to prevent ships from disposing their garbage overboard, however MARPOL is still widely ignored and it is estimated that ships still dump 6.5 million tons of plastic a year.
Additionally, local authorities and non-government organisations around the world have all contributed towards coastal clean-up operations. Unfortunately, the cost of clean-ups is high and so are usually looked over. For example, in 1998, 64 local North Sea region communities spent 6 million US dollars on beach clean-up.
“Clean-up the World” is a global clean-up program run with UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). It has engaged more than 40 million people from 120 different countries in clean-up operations. Interestingly, it had originally been a program started in Australia called “Clean up Australia Day”.
In the UK, the non-government organisation called the Marine Conservation Society has set up cleaning up beach programmes and raised awareness to the problems of marine debris. This is highly beneficial as many people are unaware that this is even occurring, and that it is destroying our planet at a rapid pace,
We live in a world where resources are treated like they will never run out. Examples are plastic cups, plastic bags, and buying bottled water. However, we don’t think about electronic waste, micro beads in face exfoliants, or even the cat litter you flushed down the toilet. We, as the number one destroyer of this planet, have a duty to conserve and defend our ecosystems. We have been deemed the “disposable” society. Meaning we are creating large quantities of toxic and hazardous waste that has never been created before, and not dealing with it. Where do you think it all goes? One big landfill where it magically disappears? Landfills are a big reason why our planet is melting. Not only does the rain “leach” garbage from the landfills into marine waters, but the decomposers in the garbage release unimaginable amounts of methane that contribute to global warming.
So what can you do? I’m going to say those three words you’ve heard before. Reduce, reuse and recycle! If recycling is too difficult for you then don’t use it at all! (Side-note: Disposable plastic cups in houses are the biggest joke when regular, reusable plastic cups are always in abundance.) Chances are, your friends and family have heard of this issue but at what degree? Go educate them about your newfound knowledge. Remind them (and yourself) to make sustainable seafood choices to help reduce the demand of overexploited species. Consider patronising restaurants and grocery stores if they start selling threatened species on the menu or at the seafood counter. For example, if you live in Hong Kong or China, remind restaurant owners that shark fin soup is harming our ecosystems.
Tell your friends and family to use fewer plastic products, like carrying a reusable water-bottle. Tell them to pick up after themselves at the beach. In fact, pick up the garbage you see even if it’s not yours. All pieces of garbage are man-made, but the biggest piece of garbage is yourself if you don’t care about our oceans.
Thinking of going on a cruise with your family? Do some research to find the eco-friendliest option and find out what marine life are in the waters around you. (I hope this is obvious to you) Never ever throw anything overboard and practice recreational activities on the water responsibly. Never interfere with the wildlife by removing rocks and coral and never buy items that exploit marine life. Yes, I’m talking about the seashells she sells on the seashore. Not only does it harm the fragile coral reefs and marine populations but it promotes it as well.
Go further and support organisations that work to protect the ocean, not only are you making a huge difference but you learn a lot more from the experience as well. Lastly, remember to love and respect our oceans and all the beautiful marine life it contains.
Bibliography:
http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/plastic_ocean_report.pdf
http://caseinlet.org/uploads/Moore--Derraik_1_.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch
http://scribol.com/environment/waste-and-recycling/the-north-pacific-gyre-100-million-tons-of-garbage-and-growing/
