The Great Atlantic Garbage Patch is a massive area in the Atlantic Ocean where marine debris, primarily plastics, accumulates. Here are some key details:
- Location and Size: This patch exists between the United States, United Kingdom, and Africa, in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. Its size can vary significantly, but estimates have put it at hundreds of thousands of square miles.
- Formation: The garbage patch forms due to the convergence of ocean currents which trap and concentrate floating debris. The North Atlantic Gyre's rotation, driven by wind patterns, funnels trash into a central area where it becomes trapped.
- Composition: The patch is not a solid mass but rather a concentration of trash with higher densities in certain areas. The majority of this waste is plastic, ranging from microplastics to larger debris like fishing nets, bottles, and other discarded items.
- Environmental Impact: The environmental impact is profound:
- Marine life often mistakes plastic for food, leading to ingestion and entanglement, which can cause death or severe injury.
- Plastics break down into microplastics, which enter the food chain and can affect both marine and human health.
- Chemicals from plastics can leach into the ocean, altering the marine ecosystem.
- History and Discovery:
- The concept of garbage patches was first recognized in the 1980s when scientists noticed high concentrations of plastic in certain ocean gyres.
- In 1997, Captain Charles Moore, after sailing through the North Pacific Garbage Patch, raised public awareness about these phenomena.
- The Atlantic counterpart, while less publicized, has been studied for years, with researchers like those from Sea Education Association documenting its growth.
- Research and Cleanup Efforts:
- Various organizations, including Ocean Cleanup, are working on technologies and strategies to clean up these patches.
- Research vessels have been deployed to study the extent and impact of the garbage patch, contributing to better understanding and management strategies.
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