South Pacific garbage patch

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File:Garbage Patch Visualization Experiment.webmThe South Pacific garbage patch is an area of ocean with increased levels of marine debris and plastic particle pollution, within the ocean's pelagic zone. This area is in the South Pacific Gyre, which itself spans from waters east of Australia to the South American continent, as far north as the Equator, and south until reaching the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.{{cite web|title=South Pacific Gyre – Correntes Oceânicas|via=Google Sites|url=https://sites.google.com/site/correntesoceanica/ocean-currents/ocean-gyres/south-pacific-gyre}} The degradation of plastics in the ocean also leads to a rise in the level of toxics in the area.{{cite web|last=Barry|first=Carolyn|title=Plastic Breaks Down in Ocean, After All And Fast|publisher= National Geographic Society|date=20 August 2009|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826095155/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090820-plastic-decomposes-oceans-seas.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 26, 2009}} The garbage patch was confirmed in mid-2017, and has been compared to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch's state in 2007, making the former ten years younger. The South Pacific garbage patch is not visible on satellites, and is not a landmass. Most particles are smaller than a grain of rice. A researcher said: "This cloud of microplastics extends both vertically and horizontally. It's more like smog than a patch".

Discovery

Evidence pointing to the existence of a garbage patch in the South Pacific gyre was made in early 2011 and its existence was confirmed in mid-2017. The discovery was made after a research voyage made by the 5 Gyres Institute.{{cn|date=November 2019}} The voyage ran from March to April 2011, following a route based on a model of ocean currents developed by Nikolia Maximenko of the University of Hawaii, which predicts floating debris accumulation zones. The expedition started taking samples off the coast of Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, and began working its way west, collecting new samples every 50 nautical miles, reaching the waters off Easter Island, and eventually Pitcairn Island.{{cite web|last=Spear|first=Stefanie|title=New Garbage Patch Discovered in the South Pacific Gyre|publisher=EcoWatch|date=9 August 2016|url=http://www.ecowatch.com/new-garbage-patch-discovered-in-the-south-pacific-gyre-1881688250.html}}

A second water sampling voyage departing from Long Beach, California on November 2, 2016, lasting six months, was led by Charles J. Moore, and a team of researchers from Algalita Marine Research and Education.{{cite web|work=Inc., Pelmorex Weather Networks|title=South Pacific Ocean Gyre Holds Massive Garbage Patch|publisher=The Weather Network|url=http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/ocean-pacific-gyre-pollution-garbage-patch/84565}} Upon departure the vessel began its journey south along the Baja California peninsula and on to the Galapagos Islands, continuing southwest on to Easter Island. After departing Easter Island the crew then headed eastward to the Juan Fernandez Islands, after which it continued north following the coast of Chile, with stopping points at Antofagasta, Chile, and Arica, Chile, before heading further out to sea for its return journey to Long Beach.{{cite web|title=2016–2017 South Pacific Expedition|publisher=Google Maps, Google|url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NOK30jHLS82B8cWic_k-OQxR7sQ&ll=33.76328127037614%2C-121.17901643603517&z=3}}

Composition, concentration and size

During the 5 Gyres expedition, 48 samples were taken from a 2,424 nautical sweep. The researchers found an increase in plastic pollution density, averaging 26,898 particles per square kilometer, but spiking at up to 396,342 particles per square kilometer, peaking near the center of the predicted accumulation zone, with some estimates as high as one million particles per square kilometer.{{cite web|title=Scientists Confirm the Existence of Another Ocean Garbage Patch|date=19 July 2017|url=https://www.researchgate.net/blog/post/scientists-confirm-the-existence-of-another-ocean-garbage-patch}}

The composition of the garbage patch consists mainly of microbeads, tiny abrasives less than 5 micrometers in size usually found in certain personal hygiene products,{{cite web|last=Carr|first=Ada|title=Newly Discovered Garbage Patch in the South Pacific Is 1.5 Times the Size of Texas, Study Says|publisher=The Weather Channel|website=Weather.com|date=27 July 2017|url=http://weather.com/science/environment/news/garbage-patch-south-pacific-ocean-discovery-plastic-microplastic-pollution}} microscopic fibers from washing clothes,{{cite web|last=Pierre-Louis|first=Kendra|title=Guess How Many Giant Patches of Garbage There Are in the Ocean Now?|publisher=Popular Science|date=21 July 2017|url=http://www.popsci.com/south-pacific-garbage-patch#page-3}} fishing debris from southern hemisphere fishermen,{{cite web|title=Massive South Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch 'A Dead Place'|publisher=Pacific Islands Report|date=24 July 2017|accessdate=14 August 2017|url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2017/07/24/massive-south-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch-%E2%80%98-dead-place%E2%80%99}} and microscopic fragments of larger pieces which have been broken down in the ocean.

The elevated levels of pollutants can be detected over a vast area estimated to be 2.6 million square kilometers (one million square miles), or about 1.5 times the size of Texas,{{cite web|last=Nield|first=David|title=There's Another Huge Plastic Garbage Patch in The Pacific Ocean|publisher=ScienceAlert|website=Sciencealert.com|date=25 July 2017|url=http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-just-found-another-huge-plastic-garbage-patch-in-the-pacific-ocean}} with the debris found along a nearly 2,500 nautical mile straight line route.

South Pacific garbage patch

Discovery

Composition, concentration and size

Effects on marine life and the ocean

See also

References

Further reading